


I'm Sorry

by Fallen_Shadow69



Category: RWBY
Genre: Dontcha love my return?, F/F, Modern AU, Trans!Ruby, because i do - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-11-09 04:41:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 36,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11097111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallen_Shadow69/pseuds/Fallen_Shadow69
Summary: She was sorry... she tried so hard to make everyone's life perfect, but she couldn't do it. she just couldn't take it any more... now what is left for the rest?





	1. Chapter 1

 

Chapter 1:

_I'm sorry, I tried hard to make everyone's lives better, but it seems every single time my dream is within my grasp... somehow life kicks me down and just jumps on_ _my dream_ _. Every time it does kick me down, it kicks harder and harder... I just can't take it any more._

_I'm sorry Velvet... I know we always talked about what we would do after I finally got the surgery... but I just can't keep out of my own head. While I was with you, I was able to get out for long, long periods of time but I always found my way back in_ _…_ _an_ _d i was just violent to myself_

_Yang, if for whatever reason you are the one to find me first, don't blame yourself either. I know you tried just as hard as Velvet to give me what I want... even to the point you left Summer and Tai's house just so I wouldn't be alone. Just... I hope you can move on with your life... be free from me. Call Mom and Dad once in awhile. They made it clear if I wasn't going to be their son, then they want nothing to do with me._

_This has nothing to do with the bailing out of just about everyone I know a couple hours ago... This has nothing to do with my parents... this all has to do with how I just can't take it any more. So Velvet... Yang... which ever one of you finds this note first, step outside, call nine one one tell them I slit my throat as deep as I could ten to twenty minutes ago, and then the other person._

_And tell everyone... I'm sorry._

Velvet had no idea why she kept that note. The note that made her loath her very existence because she couldn't notice the signs that her wife had been hurting deeply. She even kept the same expression on her face all the time.

The even bigger mystery was why she didn't listen to the advice Ruby had given her. The scene she saw of just the blood having already encrusted her wife's normally beautiful form. The way it just flew out and formed a pool at the base of the small single bed they kept in the spare bedroom. The vast sea of red still stuck in her mind days later.

But now, the sight seemed to be so much worse. The way the casket was being lowered seemed to ring harder to her. They had let her down time and time again... but now the way they were lowering her meant they really did fail her. She knew then and there that it wasn't going to be long before she was down next to the woman once again. She couldn't handle it much more.

Sniffling hard, she could feel an arm wrapping around her shoulder pulling her into a tight hug, but it just seemed to just rub salt in the wound. She knew that it wasn't the woman she fell in love with. Just another person that Ruby had to bail out to keep everyone safe and happy.

It was another person that just piled all their problems onto the person in the grave and it eventually caused the woman Velvet loved with all her being to end it all. Holding the rose tightly in her hands, Velvet walked over to the hole and let the flower slowly fall. Everything since she saw Ruby in that state had just seemed like static to her.

The way Yang was near tears again was hurting Velvet but not nearly as much as how everyone there had at one stage or another stopped Ruby from getting to her goal of being comfortable in her skin. Even Velvet herself had stopped her.

To add salt to the wounds of everyone, the sight of black on Tai and Summer had enraged Velvet, but she couldn't react on that anger, nor could she let Yang. Ruby wouldn't want them to. Lowering her ears feeling some new drops of rain she felt like now was appropriate.

She had to lose the battle. She knew that Ruby wouldn't want her to keep all these emotions bottled up, but she knew that she couldn't cry to her heart's content. How is one meant to deal with something like this?

If Velvet was being honest, if it had been anyone else, even her own parents it wouldn't have stung as much. It would hurt, she had no doubt about that. But the woman she was building a life with, had stung in a way that nothing else really could compare it to. It felt like another knife was plunged into her heart with each and every thought of it.

As the young once orphaned child that Ruby had helped find a home with Pyrrha and Reese picked up a tiny fist full of dirt and dropped it into the hole before he walked back towards the couple that had taken him in.

Once the Priest finished the verse, he closed the thick book and quickly walked off. As if he had something far more important to be. It didn't matter to Velvet. It seemed like there was nothing keeping her tied to the earth at that moment. She had already started to contemplate killing herself in the same manner as Ruby did, but she hadn't been given even a minute by herself.

She wasn't even allowed to sleep in her own bed, not that she could. The same bed that they had spent the seemingly last few minutes of her life having sex. Something that brought on all sorts of nauseating feelings to her. Instead of worrying about Ruby's mental health she was just trying to repay her for bailing her out of jail.

The way the time passed didn't even seem to catch onto Velvet, before she even knew it it was just her, Yang, Blake and Weiss standing at the grave. She could feel the rain getting blocked but she didn't feel like she deserved it. Side stepping the protection the piece of stretched waterproof cloth brought she just couldn't take the sight of everyone standing there. Herself included.

"Come on Velvet... you are staying with me tonight." Yang said as she tried to give Velvet a hug getting met with a hand pushing her back.

"We failed her..." Velvet croaked out. Her voice just frail from a mixture of her crying the previous days, mixed with just how that had been the most she had said to anyone after she called Yang. "She just wanted to be happy... she took on everyone's problems... and we all failed her." Velvet continued as she took a step further away from the group. As if that was going to wash her hands clean from how she had dealt Ruby equal blows. All of which were unintentional ones.

"Nobody knew Velvet." Blake said softly as she looked up from the grave. To see the fire that had been brewing in Velvet's eyes.

"How!? Yang was her sister, someone who had been with her in some of the worst times!" Velvet began pointing towards the blonde woman. "You two were her best friends, and even patients at one point!" Velvet continued pointing towards the monochrome duo as she looked into the grave.

"And I was her wife... and I failed her the most..."

The way Velvet had hurt them didn't seem to help any really. It was nothing but a temporary soothing in the sense that it disguised what had been hurting her. She knew that it was just going to make what she was feeling so much worse. But it still made what she was current feeling feel so much better. If just for the few seconds she would get.

"Come on Velvet. I'll make you some of that carrot soup you like." Yang said as Velvet just looked up at the blonde. She knew she must have looked foolish, but she couldn't help it. She lost everything that was important to her in the span of one trip down to the store to pick up some things so she could make Ruby's favourite meal.

"I don't deserve that... I deserve hate." Velvet said softly as she was feeling herself getting lead out. She knew from experience that Yang wasn't going to take a no as an answer. She knew that if in a matter of hours she could come back again and the hole was going to be filled in again meaning she'd never get to see Ruby ever again. Something that just tore Velvet's mind.

"You don't deserve that Velv... you at least made her one of the happiest girls in existence. Just some damages our parents caused was too much for anyone to fix... not even Ruby." Yang said as they walked out of the graveyard. The steel gates just seemed so much more daunting than they had going inside them. "I mean, the fucking nerve of them showing up. Both of them at that. They should be glad I don't beat them to an inch of their lives."

"Yang... don't. Velvet takes priority." Weiss said calmly as Velvet could just feel tears starting to beg for freedom once again. She couldn't let them see how much this was paining her. It would just cause so many problems. Some that she wouldn't be able to explain too well considering how hard it was to explain them to Ruby.

"No... don't. You read the note as well Yang. You know what is meant to be done." Velvet said as she begun to fight the urge to cry again. It was the hardest thing that could be done, but she knew it had to be. Especially with what she had planned. She needed for them to eventually let her be by herself and the more whole she seemed the faster she could get to that goal.

Taking a deep breath as she turned around and looked at the trio that had meant so much to Ruby, almost as much as Velvet knew she had meant. "Do I need to be with you Yang? I just want to go take a walk and clear my head..." Velvet asked, knowing that maybe she could get at least some time by herself. It wouldn't be very long, just enough for her to do as she asked.

"Just text me then if you want a lift to my place... no one wants you to be alone right now." Yang said softly as Velvet just looked towards her. She was already thankful that Yang had said that. It would mean that she would be given that time by herself.

Smiling Velvet begun to walk down the path, not wanting to look the gift horse in the mouth. She wanted the freedom. Lowering her ears more, Velvet begun to lightly play with the cartilage. Digging her nails into the large rabbit ears, as she turned the corner. She knew that they wouldn't stop her for two reasons. They couldn't see it and they also didn't know how significant it was.

As she walked, she didn't notice the large lip in the pathway causing her to fall over, connecting her face with the pavement she winced as she begun to push herself up a little and begun to rub the bridge of her nose. As she begun to stand up, she couldn't help but remember of the first time she met the woman that had done so much to her.

* * *

" _Ow... flipping Vale pathways." The brunette rabbit Faunus said as she heard a soft chuckling next to her._

_Looking up, she could see a brunette with red tips just looking at her with a smile. The silver eyes that had seemed to view straight through her caused Velvet to shrink a little. It wasn't from any sort of intimidation. On the contrary, this woman seemed to be genuinely nice. As though she had just found something amusing._

" _Here, let me help you up." The woman said in such a gentle tone, Velvet was expecting at any second the scant wildlife in the city would flock to her. It was as though this woman was a princess in some archaic animated movie. As Velvet begun to stand she could feel the brunette slowly dust her shoulders off, and just smiled at her. "There you go. Much better." The woman said as she begun to walk off a little. A small skip in her step, leaving Velvet with a single thought._

'What is with that woman? And why do I want to know more about her... _'_

" _Hey! Where you at Ruby!" Velvet heard yelled as the woman a couple of steps in front of her quickly turned around. The woman that helped her quickly jumped behind a large garbage bin. Before Velvet could ask what was the matter she could see a blonde woman running up. Stopping for only a second to turn and look at her. "Have you seen a thin looking woman... brunette hair, red tips... silver_ _eyes_ _?" The woman asked as Velvet could see the woman who had helped her peak over the top of the bins and beg_ _a_ _n to furiously shake her head._

" _No." Velvet said as the blonde just rolled her eyes, letting out a simple 'she could be in Vacuo by now.' before she started running down the road again, turning a corner and seemingly out of Velvet's life._

_After a few minutes of debating whether or not she should leave, when the brunette begun to walk out from her hiding spot. A smile on her face as she grabbed one hand behind her back. "Sorry... she just wants to go to the gym... and I don't." The woman Velvet was assuming was Ruby said with her smile just beaming. Before she could even ask for further details, the girl just spoke up, "So, how about we go get a coffee... she'll never find us there. You are just as much into this as I am now." She stated as Velvet just frowned._

" _I'm actually broke... I just moved here from Menagerie." Velvet said as the woman began to chew her lower lip in deep thought._

" _That's fine. I'll buy you one. I know this really nice place." Ruby said grabbing onto Velvet's hand and begun to walk at a leisurely pace down a nearby side street. She could see Ruby saying something but couldn't hear it over the sound of her heart in her ears._

_The way the woman was so close as she looked over her shoulder. "Okay... I think we are far enough away from Yang... just be careful... she seemingly makes all those jokes about blondes carry weight. She is a lug... but a loveable lug." Ruby said as Velvet just smiled a little at her. For some reason this woman had been able to infect her mind in the short amount of time they had known each other. Something that made the rabbit Faunus just feel so much better._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Walking up the stairs, each step felt like few thousand. Each one seemed to bring up what she had seen what felt like hours ago. But knew that the odds of her finding her dead wife again was impossible. Instead all she was going to do was sleep in the bed with her sister in law.

Not that Velvet found the warmth to be bad. It just felt wrong to her. It felt like she was cheating on Ruby even though the comfort that Yang would bring would be enough for both of them to make it through the night. It was all that they could do really. Their entire lives seemed to be in ruins. The weather was just constantly spitting rain, the birds seemed to stop their joyous singing every morning, even the food Velvet had been forced to eat just seemed to taste like dirt.

Knocking on the door, Velvet was secretly hoping that Yang wasn't going to be there. Just so she could go and all but hang herself. She already knew that it would hurt the rest. But she couldn't take it. Her prayers seemingly getting thrown back at her when the door swung open to show Yang standing there in the same black garb she had been wearing since the funeral.

Quickly walking past Yang and straight into the bedroom she would be forced to share, she closed the door and begun to slide down it. Her back pressed against the door in an almost fit as she begun to lower her head into her hands. She knew the fact she was crying was what was really shocking. She was already confident that she had lost the ability to cry, she had been doing it constantly.

Hearing a knock on her door as she nearly jumped out of her skin, wondering what was so important her late afternoon crying was interrupted. "Velvet... you mind coming out? You need to eat. Even if it is just some raw carrots." Yang said softly, feeling a sense of dread mixed with deja vu of whenever she talked to Ruby over some of the large roadblocks she had encountered.

Sniffling as she begun to rub her eyes a little with the cuff of the red hoodie Ruby had bought her. "No... I don't deserve anything like that... just... leave me alone." Velvet said as she brought her knees up to her chest. Draping her arms around them as she begun to take some deep breaths. She was trying to force herself to keep the tears back far enough so she could at least have this conversation. She didn't want to speak, but knew that she was going to need to.

"You don't deserve to be alone Velvet. Just... can you open the door so we can talk properly? I don't care if you are crying." Yang asked as she heard the silence that befell the entire small apartment. She knew that Velvet was taking this hard... even Yang herself was taking it just as hard if not harder, but knew that if Ruby was alive she would be damned if she let a death harm Velvet this bad.

"I care Yang..." Velvet croaked out after what seemed like half a dozen hours, but was probably a few minutes already hearing in Yang's voice that she was about to ask again. She knew that she was going to need to explain it a little bit more.

"Velvet... please... I just want to talk." Yang said as she heard some deep sniffling followed by the sound of moving. Twisting the handle, she began to walk in as she took in the sight of Velvet sitting in the small wooden frame chair with her knees practically burying half of her face behind them. "The gang is coming over again tonight. And we all are starting to worry more and more about you... two weeks and you still seem like you are in that downward spiral."

The way Yang was speaking was just seemingly tearing Velvet's resolve to stay like this. She couldn't understand how Yang was able to just seemingly get on with her life after two weeks since they put Ruby in her final resting place. It just seemed to constantly rub salt into her wounds. "You didn't see her Yang. I did. There is nothing left for me in this world... My parents refuse to acknowledge my existence until I go back home..." Velvet began to mumble as she could see Yang wrap her arms lightly around her. As though she was waiting for Velvet to continue. "Only reason I'd go back anyway is to kill my sister."

The way Velvet spat that hate, wasn't something knew to Yang. She had been saying that for a while, and from what Yang knew about Vi, she would join in just because it would make Velvet at least come out of her shell a little.

"Maybe if I wasn't mistaken for Vi... I'd at least have everything ready for our anniversary dinner. She wouldn't have been left alone long enough to do it... I could have stopped it." Velvet said softly as Yang walked over to the foot rest and took a seat looking at the rabbit Faunus who had lowered her ears and begun to seemingly play with them.

"Velvet, I've known Ruby long before she even started to undergo HRT. Once she has her mind on something it is next to impossible to take her mind off of it. No one saw it coming. Don't keep beating yourself up. Ruby would loathe herself for causing that." Yang said as she could see Velvet seemingly getting more and more violent with her ears.

"I should have noticed!" Velvet yelled as she begun to glare at Yang. "We spent countless hours just talking while we cuddled. I should have noticed any number of signs... now all that remains of my once beautiful wife is a hole in the ground her parents are trying to get the stone changed to 'Ruben' a house filled with now terrible memories, and a guest bedroom coated in a sea of blood. HER blood." Velvet continued the tirade, knowing that Yang wasn't going to fault her.

Velvet just couldn't handle how it was so easy for Yang and her friends to just move on. How they could patch such a massive hole in their lives that Ruby had left. Something that made less and less sense to her as the time seemed to creep on. The world should just end in Velvet's opinion. "Honestly, your parents keep trying to force me to sign off on the paperwork because that is the only way they can do anything legally." Velvet continued softly as Yang just shook her head.

She figured that at least it was something that was keeping Velvet going was preventing her parents from harming what remained of Ruby's legacy besides the number of patients she had that remembered her. Her memory was going to live on, even if it was mostly through people who were in dire straights in an asylum.

"Velvet... I get it. It hurts. But unlike when my ex tried to kill himself... and despite how much it hurts to say this... my baby sister isn't here to pull us out of this. We need to be the ones to do it." Yang said as she stood up looking at Velvet calmly. "So, I'll ask again... when the gang comes over are you going to come out? None of us are going to force you to... but it would at least put all of our minds at ease a little." Yang said as Velvet just seemed to rub her ears a little. Something Yang hadn't seen her do in a long time.

"I... I don't know." Velvet whispered softly as she took a deep breath pulling her knees tighter against her. "I... might just go out for a walk again soon."

"I'd rather if you didn't Velvet. It can't be healthy for you to constantly visit her grave like this." Yang said softly as Velvet just looked up at her. A slight whimper in her eyes as she was clearly debating how she was meant to say the next part. Something that Yang knew well. "But I can't stop you even if I wanted to. Just... don't stay late tonight if you do. You've been coming home later and later." Yang continued as she walked back towards the door. She really didn't want to stop Velvet for the simple fact that she had no idea what Velvet was going through. She had never been as close to Ruby as Velvet was. Something that irked her to a new degree, but not overly so because at least there was someone that made Ruby immensely happy.

Stopping just in the door frame as she turned around, Yang looked at Velvet who just looked out of the window as she begun to mess with her ears a bit more. She could have sworn she could see some liquid dripping down but chalked it up to the small amount of light that was getting into the room playing tricks on her. "You know where I'll keep the spare key right?"

"Just inside the lip of the mail box..." Velvet whispered as she frowning a little more at the feeling of blood just coating her fingertips. None of this had been a dream. The pain just made it seem all that more real. It had been the only way she could seemingly feel these days.

She could hear Yang walking back towards the kitchen as Velvet was left alone again. It just seemed fitting that she should be alone. She lost Ruby when she was so close to finally saving up enough money. She had to have been with how long they both had been saving.

Taking a deep breath as she could see the cityscape starting to darken signifying that she should leave if she wanted to spend most of the night with Ruby again. Sniffling as pulled the cuffs of her sleeves down so she could dry her eyes, she quickly walked out of the room and towards the front of the small building. Ignoring the soft speaking as she slipped past the sturdy looking front door and just begun to walk.

The bitterly cold air mixed with the near freezing rain made each step feel like she was getting pelted with needles. Another source of pain to cause her to constantly remember how all of this was real. She was going to go to the very real grave of her wife, she was going to sit on the very real ground, and she was going to cry very real tears.

Despite how she never wanted to do that at Ruby's grave. It just always happened and it always hurt Velvet that little more than the digging her nails into her ears in a careful spot as to not alert others to it, or even the freezing rain.

Walking through the open intimidating gates, Velvet was shocked the normally long walk where she could think and clear her mind a lot more, but was short. Her body seemed to be running purely on autopilot. Coming to a stop in front of the ornate grave marker, she just frowned. At the start of the journey she had hoped that it was all a very real dream. But with the engraved letters staring back at her.

Plopping down, just on the far side of the patch of dirt that she knew had seeds tossed to regrow the grass. Just the bland, brown dirt looking up into the heavens had seemed far more fitting for Velvet to just stare at.

"I'm sorry I didn't get flowers this time Ruby... Yang kept me longer than normal." Velvet said softly as she waited for some sort of response to come. Even though she knew one never would. Not any more. "I promise to bring some lilies for you tomorrow." Velvet said as she brought her knees up to her chest and just stared.

For whatever reason she just felt off. Quickly resituating herself so she was laying down on dirt. Her left hand still adorned with the wedding ring just resting over the patch of dirt. "I miss you Ruby..."

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Chapter 3:

"How has Velvet been?" Pyrrha asked the blonde woman sitting across from her. That had been another big thing they had been worrying about. Even though it was nice to see Yang had been holding up at least enough to function, they all had to admit that form their scant interactions with Velvet that she didn't seem anywhere near the functioning stage. Something that had pained everyone sitting at the table.

"She hasn't been doing too well. A few nights ago I went out looking for her and found her sleeping on Ruby's grave. She is snapping at me and anyone she passes by that might have known Ruby. If I didn't know better I'd say she is bipolar to the nth degree." Yang said softly as she grabbed hold of her mug. The way the light greenish yellowish tinge to water made her smile.

Sighing lightly, Yang lifted the mug up and took a small sip. Just enjoying the comfort the green tea Blake had brought over brought her. She knew that this was easily going to be another hard night on both her and Velvet. Especially if Velvet was going to stay at Ruby's grave again. Just the idea of how Yang knew what the woman was doing to herself was just a nightmare to the blonde woman.

"Maybe we should get her to talk to someone. It helped me when my brother, father and mother died." Weiss said softly as Yang just smirked a little at the thought of that. It was something they all knew would help but in Weiss' statement there was a few problems.

"There is a big problem Snow Queen, Velvet would want to talk to someone and she is possibly going to kill herself because the person that helped you killed herself." Reese said softly as to not disturb the sleeping child on her lap. She could see Weiss just shooting a glare at her as Yang begun to get between the two trying to defuse what was happening.

"Weiss, Reese is just trying to help. But she has a point. Velvet needs to want to talk to someone who is alive to help her. Her parents refuse to talk to her unless she moves back home to Menagerie, and the closest she has to family here is me and Coco. Neither of which have been able to get through enough." Yang said as Weiss just looked back at the cup just in front of her.

"Where is Coco?" Blake asked as she picked up her own mug and took a gulp finishing it as she reached across the table to grab the teapot and begun to pour herself a new mug. "I mean, I haven't seen her since the funeral." Blake continued as she wrapped her hand around the ceramic cup and could hear an almost dry chuckle coming from Yang.

Looking up from the slightly empty mug to look at the feline Faunus. "She is taking it just as hard as Velvet is if not more so worse because Velvet has stated outright that she doesn't want Coco to contact her until she contacts her first. Or did you forget out of everyone Ruby bailed out that night, Coco was the only one to commit an actually very serious crime instead of the rest of us." Yang just spoke softly as she could see Pyrrha moving the teapot closer to her.

Reese begun to resituate the child in her lap as she looked at her watch. "Pyr, it is getting a bit late. We can stay for one more max." Reese said softly as Pyrrha just smiled at the statement. All seemingly just wanting to fall back into the silence. The silence that only got periodically broken by the sound of the mugs and teapot getting picked up and placed back down.

The only reason the noises seemed to be partially bearable was because the silence was still just so unbearable. At least with the current sounds, it broke up the monotony of the silence. It all just seemed too far bittersweet. The best that could be done was the slight loosening of the awkwardness.

Downing the mug and placing it down a little rougher than intended, Pyrrha just smiled looking at child in her wife's lap. Still remembering how Reese reacted the first time they had met him. How she was close to just killing him. But now she'd never want to be away from him for long. Something that just seemed to increase two fold since they buried the closest thing they had to an angel.

"Are you sure you three don't want to stay?" Yang asked as Pyrrha and Reese begun to exchange who was holding their son.

"Sorry Yang, but Jason has school in the morning. Let Velvet know we were asking about her." Reese said with a deep breath. She really didn't want to leave until she could see Velvet, but she wasn't going to jeopardize her son after Ruby spent so much effort to get Jason to them. It was the least they could do was make sure the child was going to go far in the world and she knew that Pyrrha was in an agreement they would be damned if they let something stop them or Jason.

"I will. I should probably go out soon and find her. It is nearly midnight." Yang said as he stood up from the table and walked with them towards the door with them as Pyrrha begun to bend down a little to try and make it easier on Reese to put on his shoes and jacket.

Everyone just smiled a little at the sight before them. The way the child that Ruby helped to bring into all of their lives just seemed to be also one of her lasting legacies. The other being the deep schism that Velvet was intent on ripping further and further open. They all knew that Velvet wasn't meaning it, but that still didn't make it hurt any less.

As Yang saw her friends leave, she smiled at the sight of Pyrrha holding Jason tight again in one hand as Reese held onto her other. ' _At least something good still remains for now Ruby. I just wish Velvet was pulling through better._ '

* * *

_Ruby smiled as she grabbed the red dress off the hanger and held it to her form as she spun around to look at her sister getting caught in her mocking stride of holding a fake noose tightly around her. Pouting, the brunette quickly kicked the bed her sister was sitting on._

_As Yang laughed lightly as Ruby just begun to glare at her sister who just begun to look at her rubbing her eyes a little._

" _Yang, take this seriously. I'm freaking out here. Pyrrha and Reese's future matters on this meeting. So take it seriously!" Ruby yelled as she could see her blonde sister just chuckling still. As if this had been nothing but a joke to her._

" _Ruby, clam your tits. You don't own anything slutty enough despite my constant bitching about it. And you can do your makeup so much better than me. You'll be fine provided you don't say they sell drugs and sell child sex slaves." Yang said as Ruby rolled her eyes out of irritation and anger._

" _I'm going to only think about that now Yang! Even though they don't do anything like that." Ruby yelled at her sister as she tossed the dress onto her bed as she begun to pace reaching up and grabbing her hair in large fistfuls._

_Ruby knew that it was going to be a tough challenge to overcome, but she also knew how much Reese and Pyrrha needed her. She was the one that stated that Pyrrha was okay to release into the public all those years ago. Hell she was already seconds away from snapping and killing Reese for mentioning that almost long since forgotten stint in her care._

_She could feel her sister dragging her by the waist towards the bed and forcing her to sit down on the bed. Feeling her sister squeeze her shoulders tightly to try and reassure her of something. She had no idea what but the thought of her sister trying to help her just seemed to bring up some of the most painful memories._

" _I know what you are thinking Ruby." Yang began as she tapped Ruby's forehead. "Get. Out. Of. Your. Head." Yang spoke, punctuating each word with a tap of two fingers onto Ruby's forehead._

" _You said it yourself. Pyrrha is perfectly fine mentally. As long as she isn't around her parents for a few months straight." Yang said with a smirk as she stood up with an almost explosive pop from her crouching position. A snicker ever present in the way she was holding herself much to the annoyance on the smaller of the duo. "Besides, aren't you also going on a date with that one slutty woman afterwards?" Yang asked as Ruby begun to open in close her mouth. Unsure of where she should pick apart her sister's comment._

" _She is just a rabbit Faunus Yang. And we aren't dating. Because... well... you know." Ruby said as her sister just shook her head._

" _I'm telling you Ruby, don't try and find someone who is only concerned with that surface level crap. And if the stereotypes about rabbit Faunus are true then she won't have a bad bone in her body and will be horny like all the time." Yang spoke ignoring the blushing coming from her sister as she she walked over to the wardrobe and bent down to pick up a pair of a pair of flat bottom shoes. "Here, flats aren't really the classiest, but comfortable and judging by the look of these, a nun is getting more." Yang said as she tossed them onto the other side of her sister away from the dress._

_Walking towards the door, Ruby had to speak up in defence of her friend and would simply ignore the comment about her. "Stereotypes aren't always true Yang!" Ruby yelled as she heard a laugh as the blonde mane came back into the frame of the door with a smile on her face._

" _Then explain Blake's desire to sleep in boxes, and her fear of dogs, or even her chasing a laser pointer?" Yang asked as Ruby stood up and crossed her arms._

" _A minor case of agoraphobia brought about from racist people attacking her when she'd sleep on the streets once she ran from that cult, packs of feral dogs attacked her when she was a child and you being a bit of a poo head trying to piss her off." Ruby said pushing her sister out of the way so she could close the door._

_As Yang got moved, she just shook her head. Knowing that she did her job and got Ruby's mind off the near trivial topic of a conversation. "I'll leave some dinner in the fridge for you. But I'll be out. There is this sick party happening." Yang yelled back as she heard the door open partially followed by Ruby just sticking her head out to look at her._

" _Don't get into any fight this time Yang. I don't want to get any more familiar with the police than needed."_

* * *

Yang frowned as she could see her Faunus sister in law curled up into a ball on the patch of dirt. As though she was trying to hug said patch with all her might in a futile attempt to find comfort during this miserable weather.

Walking over, Yang could see the way the large rabbit ears just twitch to the sound of her footsteps causing the blonde to just shake her head. Taking her jacket off, Yang begun to rest it onto Velvet as she crouched down and lightly grabbed onto her shoulder.

"Hey, Velvet, come on." Yang said softly as the Faunus begun to look up in fear as she tried to regain her bearings. Once that happened she could take in the feeling of the jacket just resting on her shoulders. She already knew what this was, and she had to admit that she was already too tired to fight it. Even though she wanted to fight it just so she could stay with her beloved, but she couldn't over power Yang in her current state. She doubted that she would even be able to make it difficult for the blonde.

"I'm useless Yang. I can't even remember to get her flowers." Velvet muttered as Yang begun to help her up, taking slight care to dust what loose dirt she could off of the woman. Already knowing that she was going to need to wash the clothes, but wouldn't be able to for a while from how Velvet clinged to them.

"It's going to be fine Velvet. She wouldn't mind about that, she would however mind this thought process." Yang said softly as she tried to pull Velvet closer as if she was trying to share some of her warmth with the cold woman, to just feel said woman push against her and away from the one armed hug.

"Don't touch me like that." Velvet said with a slight sneer to her voice as she wrapped the jacket around her tighter. She wanted so desperately to see Ruby again, but knew that Yang wouldn't let her go that easily. Something that had already started to become a thorn in her side to her very existence.

"I'm just trying to help Velvet." Yang muttered as she heard a simple comment from Velvet, one that just crushed her a little more.

"Well don't."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Walking up to the grave marker, the blonde woman smiled as she placed the bouquet of flowers down. Crouching down the blonde lowered her hand and lightly rubbed the ground.

"Velvet was worried about not bringing you some flowers last night. So I thought it would be best to bring you some before she got up." Yang began as she took a look around the cemetery. Just seeing the few elderly women walking around caused her to just smile. "I just know that you would love this place." She continued as she took a deep breath looking down at the engraved stone.

"She is taking it really bad Ruby. We all are trying to help her, but she keeps trying to push us back." Yang continued as she begun to get into a sitting position. Loathing the wet ground but she already could tell that she was going to be here a while. It wasn't that it was a bad thing, it is just with what the group had planned to do to hopefully help Velvet out meant that she couldn't stay as long as she would have liked. Even though she would love to stay until the last possible minute, but that would make it so much harder to leave.

"I know you would give me a lecture on coping, but I don't think she has entered denial yet. I'm trying though to get her mind out of this self defeating spiral." Yang spoke in a soft tone just knowing that she would have called what her sister would do in this situation spot on. "So, we are all trying to get a surprise ready for her, for tonight. Something I think we all would be happy with. It is also why I can't stay longer." Yang continued softly as she patted the ground. A small smile on her face, as she could just see the morning sun starting to peek out. It just gave her the confidence that it was going to be a good day.

"I love you Rubes. Until next time." Yang said standing up to her full height. Walking carefully towards the gates, Yang shoved her hands into her pockets. She already knew that Weiss and to a lesser extent Pyrrha would be peeved with how she was late. She just hoped that they would understand it won't be the easiest thing for her to enter.

As she begun to walk towards the house, she took a deep breath as she tried to steel herself. This was going to be tough on her. She hasn't stepped foot into Ruby and Velvet's apartment since before the night that Velvet had all but become inconsolable. She would just have to push through everything if it would give Velvet a chance to come out of the spiral. They had been at their wit's end about it. They were just short having Velvet committed to any of the psychiatric facility that owed Ruby so much that they would gladly try and help Velvet out.

Taking a deep breath, Yang begun to cross the road. Looking over in the direction of her place, she could have sworn she could see Velvet walking down the road. Figuring that it was her mind playing tricks on her given the time of the morning is far too early for Velvet to even leave the bed. It would still be around the time of Velvet talking to herself.

It had long gone past the point where Yang had thought it was just Velvet trying to make heads or tails of the situation. It had gotten to the point that she was starting to think it was a ritual she didn't know about between Velvet and Ruby that she just couldn't break. It had already become the entire group's consensus that it was just escalating the downward spiral.

Walking down the dark alleyway, Yang just began to wonder a little at how Ruby could walk down such a dreary area every time she would walk back from her house. She could see some people clearly trying to stay hidden and warm by bunching themselves up in the small crevasses of the walls. She knew that was probably a large factor given Ruby's penchant for helping. She could even see the distinctive hoodie that she knew most likely was one of Ruby's spares.

Smiling a little as she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling her phone out to see who was calling her. "Weiss, I'm on my way. I needed to make a few stops. I'm like half a block from her place." Yang said, slightly exhausted at the white haired woman. She knew that she was just wanting to keep everything on some schedule that she wouldn't reveal to anyone else.

" _Are you sure she'll be fine for the entire day?_ " Weiss asked as Yang just shook her head.

"I left a note saying I was just going to do some quick errands. She will probably go to Ruby's grave to talk to her. She'll be fine until about six. I told you this all before." Yang said softly as she begun to swivel her head down the road as if she was trying to navigate the imaginary traffic. Quickly walking across the road as she heard some soft talking coming from the other end of the phone.

" _I'm just worried Yang. About both her and you._ " Weiss said as Yang just begun to shake her head. Feeling exhausted as though she had already explained this to the group on multiple occasions.

"I'm going to be fine Weiss. Velvet hopefully won't do anything that brash. She still thinks I may be back at any minute if I'm not there. Now can I go? Because I can see the front stairs right now." Yang said, not even waiting for a response to come from the woman as she hung the phone up and began to just climb the stairs.

Laughing as she began to punch in the door code that she was surprised Ruby hadn't changed since she moved out. Opening the door, she begun to walk up the stairs, a small smile as she heard some of the profanities coming from just under the normally well held woman's breath. Turning around the pillar, Yang fished the spare key out of her pocket, actually enjoying the look on her friend's faces.

Opening the door, breaking the small seal on the side of the door, they all quickly covered their noses from the smell of the oxidised blood. "First thing's first. Open all the windows. I'll open them in the guest bedroom. Some one, make sure there is hot water, and a lot of cleaning chemicals." Yang said stepping in pulling her key out of the lock, and just trying to resist the urge to vomit.

"Why didn't the cops or someone on their payroll clean this?" Blake asked with her nose pinched so tightly, everyone was positive that they could see small amounts of blood slipping past.

"Apparently they don't handle that unless it is in the public space, or you pay them." Yang said as she walked down the hallway, seeing all the pictures of her sister, her, Velvet and their friends just hung up with care. As though Ruby was trying to keep a time capsule of all the time they spent with each other.

Stopping at the door of what once was her room, and was the last thing Ruby would have seen. The walls that she remembered she kept an almost beige, with just yellow along the trim of everything. Something that even the thought now of being the final sight of anyone was enough to make Yang feel a little depressed.

Opening the door with a solid push, Yang was shocked to see the blood having stained into the small carpet that Weiss had given her. She remembered that Ruby had told her it was worth something like twice her normal yearly take home.

Walking over towards the small windows, she could just see the red staining the bed linen. The once bright colours that always at least made the day a little more enjoyable to Yang just stained a dark red. As the air begun to flood in, Yang turned around and just took in the sight of the room.

That was when it clicked to her. The pictures weren't really the time capsule. From the sight of the room, she kept as much as she could from what Yang had it with all the things she had been given. From patients, to friends, to even the small trinkets that Ruby had been able to save from before their parents kicked her out.

"Do you ever wonder why she did it in there?" Reese asked softly as Yang walked out of the room. She knew that the expression was clear, but if she was being honest there was a nice bit of relief from not only the near noxious smell being so much more bearable by comparison, but also from how everything wasn't seeming as bad to her.

"It was out of the way. You would need to go for the room to see it." Yang began as she took a seat on the couch. Already wondering what her sister's last minutes were like. "How is the cleaning situation looking?" Yang asked as she could see Weiss walking out with a slightly quizzical look on her face. Like she wasn't sure what she was really meant to look for.

"We should have everything to take care of the large stuff. Just need to get some extra thick bags if we need to throw anything away." Pyrrha said walking out from the kitchen as well, just behind Weiss.

"Let's not throw away anything from that room if we can help it." Yang said, clearly sparking the group's curiosity from that simple statement. Something that alone was strange to Yang. "Just look in the room. Clearly the pictures weren't really what we thought." Yang continued as she looked towards the wall directly in front of her.

"We can look later. We should really clean as much as we can. There is a trail of bloody foot prints, and this is going to take a while to actually clean. Even longer to where it won't just feel like someone is stabbing my nose." Blake said as Yang actually couldn't help but feel like she was in agreement.

The first real down time Yang had was in that sitting down, and she wasn't liking it at that moment. She knew that making this place at least liveable for Velvet was a decent goal, but she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with actually meeting that goal. Once that would happen, she'd have no chance but to actually feel the weight of all that had happened. And she didn't want to feel that just yet.

"Let's start from the front. I... I just really don't want to see that sight right now." Weiss said softly as Yang just nodded in agreement. Just the sight of where the blood once was, was troubling to her. She didn't want to think what would Velvet have seen with the blood in a much fresher state with a body on the bed and all.

Unzipping her coat as she stood up, Yang quickly walked towards the coat rack and hung her coat up on it. "Let's start going then. We don't stop scrubbing and airing until it is either four, or Blake says she can't smell what I'm positive at this point is rot." Yang said as she begun to roll the sleeves of her yellow and brown flannel shirt up as she walked with Pyrrha into the kitchen.

' _One hurdle at a time Yang. That is what Ruby taught you for dealing with things. I'm sure once Velvet is back here she'll be able to get over that first one, and from there she'll be able to get to the rest._ '


	5. Chapter 5

 

Chapter 5:

Velvet frowned as she noticed the damp ground, but the frown redoubled as she could see the bouquet of the simple white flowers she knew her wife loved. Sniffling a little, Velvet lowered the one in her hands down to match the previous one. ' _this had to have been one of Yang's errands._ ' Velvet thought as she got comfortable and took the seat.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't the first one to get you your favourite flowers. But at least it was Yang." Velvet began softly, as she pulled her knees clear up to her chest. She couldn't stand the fact she was the last one to find out about something so important again.

First it was the fact her parents didn't like her in one of the big cities. Then it was how far Ruby had crawled into her own mind, and the fact that she was now the last person that day that would most likely visit Ruby's grave, and bring her flowers. It had been turning out as a worse and worse few months.

She wasn't sure about how long she could even maintain this constant beating down life seemed to be giving her, she was positive was from some form of spite her subconscious seemed to be wanting to deal out to life. Something that she was finding to be something harder and harder to actually accept. Even though the fact remained most of the time she couldn't withstand the storm life was blowing her way.

"I'm trying so hard right now to keep your Mom from getting her way with your grave Ruby." Velvet began as her ears drooped down to just cover her face. Reaching up to play with the cartilage that was inside them as she begun to think about what she could talk about to the woman. "That honestly feels like the only reason I don't try and join you." Velvet continued as she dug her fingers into the tender flesh, already getting used to the pain once again.

Something that she remembered people once telling her when she would talk to people besides Ruby about her problems, that once someone got used to the pain, that was when danger happened. And now she could see why. She needed the pain, and felt like she deserved it. The only problem being that she knew from experience that she couldn't hurt herself anywhere else because someone would find out then. At least the way it was she could perhaps play it off like the wind had burned her sensitive ears.

Right now though, she didn't care about looking for an excuse. She only cared about grave staring at her. "I know you would want me to help Yang and even at least get her to give your parents the time of day again Ruby. It is just so hard for me to even get up in the morning. I don't have you in my arms, I don't have your soft snoring filling my ears. And with how everyone seems to be trying to take your place... it just makes the pain that much worse."

The way Velvet was speaking was making her a little glad that if anyone was there, they'd understand. The biggest worry right now though was if the grounds-keeper would make his normal rounds earlier. But for now she was going to be able to sit down and just simply enjoy this time. Something that she felt like she needed at this moment.

Sniffling a little as she looked up at the sky trying to see if she could figure out the time knowing that she really couldn't. It was merely her not sure what to talk about. She didn't know what to talk about to this once beautiful woman.

Moving over a little as she heard some people walking up the pathway, she just closed her eyes and took a few more deep breaths. Hoping that the people walking past wouldn't care to see a woman sitting in front of a grave crying. She hoped that they would be able to at least read that she doesn't want nor need their concern. That was until she heard who it was.

Snapping her eyes open, she turned to glare in the direction of the woman walking up with someone that Velvet recognised very well and from the few interactions she had with the man and from what Yang had told her, she knew calling Tai spineless was an understatement.

* * *

_Velvet laughed a little as she could see Ruby just sitting contently on the edge of the river, with her feet dangling in the water. She knew that she was revealed to the woman who clearly decided to take her break far away from what the Faunus often considered was one of the worst places to be around._

_But the smile on Ruby's face as she laid down to stare at the Faunus just seemed to make her feel that much better about this crazy idea that Yang had given her. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" Ruby asked as Velvet came to a stop just in front of the woman._

_The woman with her feet dipping into the cold water was actually curious as to the reason but more so curious as to what the Faunus woman had hidden behind her back._

" _After you said how today was going to be long and tiring because of how hot it was meant to get, Yang had convinced me to make something for your lunch after I had to almost pull her teeth to tell me where you normally are during days like that." Velvet said with a smile as she moved the object behind her back to show a small wicker basket. "So, I made you a little lunch." Velvet said as Ruby just smiled wider sitting up, as the Faunus held the basket out further for the woman to take._

_As she grabbed the basket, the red tipped brunette just patted a spot on the rock next to her, as the basket got lowered down next to the heavy duty shoes she had to have. Walking up to the rock Velvet took a seat facing the field leaving her back to the river as Ruby pulled out one of the sandwiches. "Here. You deserve some." Ruby said as Velvet just smiled and took the half Ruby gave. Carefully inspecting it to make sure it wasn't one of the ones with meat in it. "Relax. I made sure for you. I'd be a terrible person if I knew you were a vegetarian and gave you meat." Ruby clarified as she took a bite from the new one in her hands as she looked at the calming water._

_Velvet smiled as she heard the water splashing a little from Ruby swinging her feet in the water. "So, what was the reason you were talking to Yang? I thought she was still a bit angry at you for that time you tripped while painting and got paint all in her hair." Ruby asked, not really trying to be rude, but just curious because of how normally when Yang was angry at someone she would do anything but be helpful._

" _She was. But we both thought you were probably going to forgo food just to relax a little more, and Yang said she had to go_ _downtown_ _." Velvet said as she could see Ruby just shake her head as though that was something terrible that Velvet said._

" _I suppose a night won't be complete without heading to the police station." Ruby muttered as she took another bite of the sandwich. The look of anger in her face as she began to chomp down once again. The once delicious food didn't seem as good considering that she knew it was probably her sister trying to make the call later bearable._

" _What's the matter Ruby?" Velvet asked feeling like she just ruined the entire thing with the woman she had found increasingly beautiful the longer she was around her._

" _Yang only goes_ _downtown_ _for one thing. Despite how I would prefer it to be two. But that one thing is to go get wasted and then get arrested for drunken disorderly." Ruby said with a frown as she took another large bite, before instantly regretting it by biting her thumb. Pulling her hand free she winced as she began to just fling her hand around to try and ease the pain._

_Giggling a little, Velvet placed the sandwich on her lap as she grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled it closer to look. As Velvet was looking, she could see out of the corner of her eyes Ruby head first in the basket looking through it as if she was trying to find something._

" _The cookies are under the sandwiches for a reason Ruby. And you didn't break the skin. You should be just fine." Velvet said as Ruby frowned pulling her head out of the basket, holding a sandwich in her other hand. A pout deeply stretched across her face as she reached in and pulled out one of the triangle sandwiches. "What is the other reason you want Yang to go_ _downtown_ _?" Velvet asked trying to make some small conversation as Ruby's pout seemed to vanish._

_Normally, Velvet would be_ _overjoyed_ _with something like a pout going away from Ruby's face but the look on her face wasn't a frown or even a smile. It was a look of pure indifference that just seemed to give more pain to Velvet than the pout._

" _Our parents live in_ _downtown_ _, and I've been disowned for reasons by them that I don't want to get into. But Yang isn't and she decided to stick with me throughout everything despite what I keep telling her." Ruby said softly as she stared into the water as she began to swing her feet in it lightly._

" _It's okay." Velvet said as she picked up the sandwich in her lap again, just taking a bite from it and frowning at the fact Ruby didn't seem to bounce back from that thing as easily just made her feel so much worse. She didn't want the entire time they were there to be ruined by the simple fact she was nosey._

" _I should probably get going. It is a long walk back." Ruby said before she all but shoved the sandwich into her mouth and pulled her feet up and grabbing her socks she begun to dry her feet off with them. Before Velvet could question it, she could see Ruby reach into the shoes to pull out a small plastic bag and pulled out two new socks before tossing the wet ones into the plastic bag. "I'll call you later. Maybe we can have a girls night before I need to go bail Yang out." Ruby said with a smile that just seemed a little false to Velvet but she couldn't pass up the opportunity._

" _That sounds like fun."_

* * *

"The fuck are you doing here!" Velvet yelled at the duo as the large almost wall of a man began to hide behind the much smaller woman who was glaring a little.

"We are here to try and convince you to change our son's gravestone to his real name. Not this farcical thing you and Yang keep trying to do." Summer said almost callously to Velvet. Not that it really mattered to her. She wasn't going to budge on this matter. She couldn't even begin to imagine facing Ruby again if she let something like this happen.

"It isn't going to work because you don't have a son. You had two daughters. Something the government recognised when they changed her birth certificate. And even then you both disowned her long before that happened. So stop trying this it won't work." Velvet said as Summer bit her lip, as though she was trying to chew something over mentally before deciding on something.

"We'll see about this Velvet. I don't care if we need to go to the highest court. We will change Ruben's gravestone to something appropriate. Not this lie that the world keeps seeing." Summer said as she took a step closer to Velvet who stood up and stared into the woman's eyes.

"Try it. Unlike what you wanted with her life, Ruby made a lot of friends. Some very powerful friends. So try it."


	6. Chapter 6

 

Chapter 6:

Yang smiled as she began to crack her back. Her knees were aching, but she felt like they achieved something that day. Even though she knew the area was small considering how hard they had to scrub to remove the ghastly reds and browns staining the floor. That was something that she hadn't expected to take so long, but was glad they had it clear to the what was now infamous room amongst the group.

She knew why it was going to be hard for some of the people, but she also knew that it had to be done. Taking a deep breath, Yang turned to see Blake still holding the nose plugs that she had gotten when she had to leave to get some more bleach.

If Yang was being honest, the smell of bleach was actually starting to seem worse to her than the smell of the putrefying blood. But it wasn't done yet. They were going to need to fight the hardest to go into that one room. But for now they could hold their heads up for now.

"Blake do you mind? Smelling the room?" Weiss asked standing up causing a chuckle in just about everyone at the small amounts of already hardened blood on her knees and hands from clearly not being used to working hard to clean something.

"Not happening. If you guys can't smell it at all, close the door and give me like ten minutes to let the room air out." Blake said as best as she could given how her nose was blocked off to a clearly painful degree. Something that no one blamed her for because of how strong it was and how sensitive her sense of smell is.

"You know what just occurred?" Reese asked as she walked towards the door and quickly covered her nose with her hoodie as she closed the door. She knew that her dramatic pause was going to get on the nerves of Pyrrha, but she was going to be fine with it just because it would make some sense. "If Blake can't smell it that just means a cat Fauns can't smell. Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't seen her in a long time, but Velvet is a _rabbit_ Faunus. Her senses are totally different."

As Reese walked back into the room, she could see some glares coming from everyone. She had no idea why some would be coming from Blake until she spoke up answering her point. "Think of my senses like a cat, and her's are more like a rabbit. Better hearing but a predator has a better sense of smell and sight."

"So, what do we do while we wait?" Weiss asked as she took a seat down next to Blake just next to Reese who was pulled into Pyrrha's lap, as Yang walked around to the front of the group taking a seat on the coffee table.

"I don't know. I'd say drink, but I promised myself not to until this place is at least clean enough for Velvet to live in." Yang said as she rubbed her face, trying to just stay awake and far away from her own thoughts. She didn't want to think about any of the things that were going to happen once it was revealed what she had been doing.

Before anyone could say anything, the sound of a phone ringing snapped them out of what they were talking about. Recognising her ringtone, Yang walked over to where she rested her phone and didn't recognise the number. Quickly picking up her phone Yang spoke up, "Hello, Yang Xiao Long speaking."

" _Yang honey, you need to come down to the police station. I need you to bail me out._ "

"Yeah, it might sound like I'm hanging up on you Summer but that is because I'm hanging up on you." Yang said quickly hanging her phone up and resting it down on the counter. She was a little curious as to the reason as why Summer had broken their near truce of never contacting each other and even more curious as to why Summer was in jail. But no where near curious enough to actually bail her out.

Walking over to her seat again, Yang took her seat to see the look of curiosity on her friends' faces, which alone caused Yang to roll her eyes. "Summer is in jail and used me as her one phone call. Personally I hope she drops the soap. And then bites her tongue off. I mean there is no word in the world that could describe my hatred for the woman." Yang said as she heard her phone starting to go off again.

Sighing deeply, Yang stood up and walked towards her phone again seeing the same number causing her to just sigh. She knew that it couldn't be Summer because she clearly wasted her call. Curious as to who it was this time calling her she picked up the phone and put up the same sort of mask figuring it was probably her Dad.

"Hello, Yang Xiao Long speaking."

" _Yang... your Mom started a fist fight. I need your help._ " Velvet spoke causing Yang to just frown and walk over towards her set of keys.

"Fine, I'm up town right now with Weiss. We are going to get down there as fast as we can and you can explain the story." Yang said as she rubbed her eyes, a little out of irritation, a little out of the genuine brewing need to just have a single drink. That she knew it was stupid to hold back on, but right now Velvet took priority. And she wouldn't be able to give Velvet the respect if she was wasted like she wanted to be.

Hanging her phone up and slipping it into her pocket, Yang just turned to see Weiss sighing as she rubbed her eyes. "What happened?" Weiss asked, softly as the exhaustion started to become more and more apparent.

"Fist fight with Queen Bitch. Probably why she broke our unspoken truce. The old man probably was brought in as well. Difference is I can imagine he never threw a punch and may have been spouting racist comments." Yang said rubbing her eyes again as she heard Weiss stand up. "Sorry I still can't drive without getting sent to jail for a long time."

"Fine, I suppose we can always finish the rest at another time." Weiss said in a calm tone as she walked over towards Yang. Ready to just put everything aside for the moment, she didn't want to work that hard any more than they had to. Just the thought was going to be enough warrant her to vomit.

"If by 'another time' you mean tomorrow then fine. Just make sure all the windows are closed before you walk out. And maybe get some air fresheners for tomorrow. Preferably ones that can be sprayed, but don't just hurt human and Faunus noses." Yang said as Weiss just smiled a small smile as she turned around at the door waiting for the rest to get up and start. Or at least Yang so they could leave the almost soul crushing building. They all knew this was going to be hard, but Weiss, just felt the urge to dive out at the first chance.

She knew that it might be perceived as a vile thought, but she couldn't help it. The sight and smell of her friend's blood was everywhere, even the feel of the blood on her hands was enough to make her want to vomit. She knew at this point all she could do until the next time was put as much distance as possible between her and this now hollowed out home her friend had created.

"Come on Weiss." Yang said as she grabbed her coat. "Velvet is probably going to be seconds away from popping someone she shouldn't." Yang continued as Weiss opened the door. Putting a smile on her face as they started to walk out.

Something they both knew was a hollow gesture, but it was going to be what they needed to at least give Velvet the semblance that everything was going to be fine. They were fine. That once she could accept that Ruby did a selfish action, then maybe she could become alright as well. They just had to show her that it was possible to accept how she was gone forever and that life could go on.

A thing that Yang wanted just so she could start to go through the stages, and even start to drink again. Then maybe she could see what Ruby would really want. She didn't believe for one second that Ruby wanted her to bury the hatchet in anything but Summer's head. It was a little laughable that even in her sister's suicide note she was still trying to remove the rift between Summer and Yang. It was a little tragic really considering the feud that they had devolved into wasn't going to end with nice words. It would need to be violence and one of them ending up going to jail, and with the history Yang had with police, even if she wasn't the aggressor she would most likely be the one to go.

Climbing into the car, Yang closed her eyes and took a deep breath just because she had to think of the right things to say to Velvet to get her to talk. Something that she started to become more and more envious of towards her little sister who seemed like she could talk to anyone about anything and have them open up regardless of how much they tried to fight it.

Instead, all Yang had was an ability to hold her drink, throw punches at people like it was nothing, and an ability that Yang knew she had that Ruby was very envious of. Being comfortable in her skin.

"Did she tell you what started the fight?" Weiss asked causing Yang to open her eyes and look at her. "I only ask because, I doubt you have the cash on hand to bail her out and this was another reason as to why you want me."

"It is for the ride. Sun's on the clock. Along with Neptune. They'll accept an I.O.U. from me." Yang said as she rubbed her eyes once more. Trying to shove all the sleep from her eyes. Already knowing that she was starting to doubt that Velvet would be able to pull out of it any time soon. Especially with a fist fight right now that could easily turn into assault charges. "But no. She didn't say what started it, she didn't say how it ended. All I know is it happened and I could hazard a guess it is about the name on Ruby's headstone." Yang said closing her eyes once more. Figuring that Weiss was going to continue this.

"Legally they can't. Can they?"

"No. Ruby had her name changed along with the gender on her birth certificate. In the eyes of the law she is no longer a he and her name is Ruby not Ruben. They can't do anything, unless the courts deem her insane, which can't be done because she is dead, or her current acting attorney gives them the right to do that." Yang said with her eyes closed. Glad for once that she was able to use the knowledge Ruby had constantly drove into her just so she could get a piece of paper.

"Which is who? You haven't taken the bar exam have you? Or at least you haven't practiced law." Weiss asked curious as to how Yang was going to act if it did come to that.

Smirking, Yang opened her eyes again. "It is Velvet legally, I am Velvet's attorney, and I passed the bar exam a long time ago. Just after Ruby came out. Now can you stop playing amateur shrink and take a right up head?" Yang asked, not trying to sound like her fuse was short, but she didn't want to talk about this. To Yang it was nothing but crushed dreams, that thankfully in situations like this came in handy.

When the car came to a stop, Yang smiled as she reached for the door handle. "It is best to stay in here. It looks like you have some dried blood on you." Yang said causing Weiss to look down and notice the almost pink colour staining her clothes. It just seemed to sting as she knew Yang was right. She couldn't stand next to Velvet and think of some convincing lie.

"Fine, just hurry up." Weiss scolded as Yang walked out of the car.

Taking in the sight of the police station in the afternoon, she couldn't help but notice it seemed to look different not in handcuffs. Smiling softly knowing that this was going to be a simple process, all she had to do is mind her tongue, and bail Velvet out. But the fact remained that she knew the people in there knew of Summer and Tai's relationship with Yang, which meant that she would need to get up close to them if it was anything like when Ruby bailed her out one of the countless times she had.

' _Just ignore them Yang. Get Velvet. Get out. That is it._ ' Yang thought like it was a mantra in her head. Just to try and keep her calm considering she could be a matter of seconds away from killing her Mother and possible her spineless Father. She wouldn't even feel bad going away for that considering the hell they put Ruby through. It might even feel therapeutic to her.

Shaking the thought from her mind, Yang just continued the mantra. It was the right thing given the circumstances. She could live that fantasy out later. Velvet took priority now. That was what mattered to her. Just so Ruby could keep resting peacefully.


	7. Chapter 7

 

Chapter 7:

Walking up to the desk, Yang sighed as she could see the blonde monkey Faunus sitting on the desk, causing Yang to just smile at the sight. It meant that she might be able to get Velvet back free of most charges.

Ringing the bell that was on the counter, Yang could see the blonde's head swing over and gasp in shock at the sight of the long haired woman clearly exasperated. "Wow. Blondie. You aren't in handcuffs. I thought I'd be captain when that would happen." The monkey Faunus said as he turned around and began to move the uniformed officer at the desk over. "So, come to turn yourself in on the bar fight that sent eight people to hospital a month ago?" Sun quipped as he looked Yang up and down.

"Look, I told you guys already, I had nothing to do with that, but I'm here to bail out Velvet Scarlatina. And going to need you to give me an..." Yang began looking to see the shaved head of the other officer starting to leave towards an area that Velvet knew pretty well. "I'll need an I.O.U. This kind of thing is bogus anyway. Velvet wouldn't have been the aggressor. And I'm sure the man will have charges of racism brought up if he was in fact being racist to her." Yang said softly as to not get Sun or her into trouble.

"I can't discuss that part, but it is most likely. And I'll need to collect in a few weeks. You know someone will be bound to find it." Sun said as Yang just smiled at him. Already knowing that she would be good for it. If not he wouldn't need to wait very long given her history until she'd be locked up again and then he'd get it. "Right, wait to be buzzed in."

Hearing that simple thing, Yang walked towards the door and heard the buzzer sound causing her to just open the door and start to walk down the brightly light, suffocating hallway given how the last time she was walking down this hallway Ruby was still alive for a few more hours after. But she knew she wasn't going to end up in the same way as Ruby. She had to make sure Velvet was going to be alright.

That was all that mattered to her really. If Velvet was going to be alright. Once she knew that then she'd be able to move on. Even if it wasn't very far in the literal sense, or even the figurative sense, she'd still be able to think easier. She'd be able to breath easier knowing that Velvet wasn't going to be a risk to herself.

Walking into the small bullpen like area, Yang could see Velvet handcuffed to the edge of the table with her long rabbit ears folded down against her head. Something that hurt Yang, but not nearly as much as the fact she could see the woman who until Ruby came out was her Mother sitting across the room.

An almost sinister smile on her face the entire time. "Yang, thank god, you saw reason and came to bail me out." She sung out as Yang shook her head.

"Yeah you can shove it. I'm here for Velvet." Yang said as she took a look towards the blue haired man leaning back with a smile on his face. "Already got this from Sun Nep. And I'd still be that smile off your face. Charges be damned." Yang said as the man just snickered a little as he reached into his desk to pull out a set of keys.

"I was just going to say it must feel weird being on this end of things." Neptune said as he stood up and walked towards the Faunus. He just knew that the woman that was across the room was clearly the one to instigate the fight like there was no tomorrow. Especially if what Velvet told him was the reason as to what they were fighting over.

Slipping the key into the handcuffs. He quickly twisted them and took the metal off of the woman. "My condolences by the way. I know I'm a bit late, but I just found out bringing them in." Neptune continued as Yang just smiled a little. At least some of the people she had gotten close to weren't in the dark about this.

"Thanks." Yang said as Velvet started to rub her wrist a little. Glancing into the brown eyes that Yang knew Ruby loved doing she could see the urge to fight in them something Yang knew all too well. "Come on Velvet. Weiss is waiting." Yang said as she grabbed Velvet's upper arm and begun to walk out already knowing that once she was away from Summer she would calm down. This anger was just something that she knew was a natural reaction to Summer.

Walking out the doors, Yang breathed a sigh at the sight of Weiss having put on a jacket to at least cover up any trace of what they were doing. Taking a breath Yang turned to Velvet and spun her so she was looking directly at her. "What gives Velvet?" Yang asked as Velvet just glanced down at the ground. As though she as a child having gotten caught and in trouble.

"She started it." Velvet muttered as Yang just glare harshened. She knew that it was going to be hard to get the information from Velvet, but this was a joke by comparison. This was nothing.

"Velvet! I need to know!" Yang bit even harsher than she glared knowing that it would at least make Velvet talk a lot faster than just that.

"She was demanding I change her headstone and then started calling Ruby a no good dirty animal lover when I refused to budge. Then she started to use a lot harsher slurs." Velvet continued as Yang just breathed a sigh of relief. She had never known Velvet to give into violence over something like that. Normally she wouldn't give any racist comments the time of day. she'd normally just shrug everything off.

This wasn't the Velvet she once knew. Even if the fact remained that they looked like Velvet but she wasn't really. "Did anyone hear the comments?" Yang asked as Velvet shrugged her shoulders. She clearly didn't want to be there, and Yang knew exactly where she wanted to be. A place that she knew she probably shouldn't let Velvet to go to for a while.

Sighing as they walked towards the two door car, she began to push the seat forward to let Velvet climb into the back. "Get in the car Velvet. We are heading back to my place." Yang said hoping that Velvet was going to drop it there but could see the urge to fight starting to grow once again. She could see the desire to throw a punch. Even if she knew that she'd regret it a lot faster than that. "If it's gets you into the fucking car and makes you feel better throw the damn punch Velvet." Yang almost yelled as she could see Velvet's ear droop again as she began to crawl into the car.

She knew that at that moment that she'd be able to at least get to Velvet a bit given how she still knew that if Yang wanted to take a hit she could and deal one out a lot stronger than anything Velvet could muster. Flipping the seat back being careful as to not hurt Velvet any Yang climbed into the car and took a deep sigh.

As Weiss began to drive off, Yang looked back and could see Velvet playing with her ears once again. "Velvet, I'm not angry at you. You showed a lot of restraint if she is still breathing. But right now, I'm ticked that this is your first reaction. If you lay hands on her, she can press assault charges, and given how conniving she is, she'd get what she wants. If you can prove she was not only the aggressor but also was spewing racially charged statements you are in the clear and can even get a restraining order preventing her or anyone affiliated with her from entering within so many feet of the grave." Yang said as Velvet looked up a little from her focusing on playing with her ears.

"There was some old women maybe that heard. But I don't know who they are, and I couldn't even pick them out if my life depended on it. There are just the people that saw Summer throw the first punch and Tai saying crap to try and offend me." Velvet said as she could hear Yang at least smile a little. As though that was a pleasant thing considering the storm that had started to rain almost non stop since Ruby's death. Or at least to Velvet that is what it seemed.

It just seemed in a way how the world should be. No one deserved to be happy right now. Her light was stripped from the world so she saw it as a rightful thing that everyone else had their light stripped from them as well. Nothing deserved to be bright.

Hell she was even thinking that it would be a lot more apt if she just started painting every wall black. She would just feel so much happier if the world would be able to reflect her mood. Because then it would be just perfect to her.

"So, here is what is going to happen Velvet. It will remove any wind from the sails of that bitch. You will write her a heartfelt apology and tell her you are sorry for any damages you might have caused during your scuffle. You will write it with impartial witnesses that have no connection to you or them. I suggest some officers of the law, or some friends I still have from law school." Yang began as she turned around in her seat to look at Velvet in the eyes. "You will not mention the reason for the fight in the letter. It will be cordial and I don't care if you mean it. As long as it comes across like you mean it."

"I'm not sending her anything." Velvet muttered as she began to saw with the edge of her nail into her ear. She just wanted to cause as much damage as she possible could. "And I will certainly not apologise for kicking her ass while I was defending my late Wife's only thing she could achieve of her dream." Velvet said softly as she look between her ears as she covered her eyes partially with her fingers.

"Velvet, listen. It is extending an olive branch. Even if you don't mean the words, if it does go to court, and there is evidence you sent it and the words had no malice, then no matter what she tries to spin, be it racist or otherwise. I do this all the time when I got into drunken fights." Yang said as she could see some blood starting to drop from the long ears. Reaching back, Yang begun to wrestle Velvet's hands away from her ears. "Look, let's get upstairs, I'll patch your ears up if I can, and then we can talk about this in greater detail."

Velvet felt like she was about to scream when she could see the door next to Yang open and the chair bend forward. Getting out of the car, Velvet wasn't sure if it was wise to run really. Given that she felt like she had nowhere to go. But knew that if Yang saw the scars on her ears then there would be a lot more questions.

"Maybe make something like a toss salad. Unless you want more soup." Yang said as Velvet just got out of the car and began to storm up the stairs. She already knew Yang was going to be a while, but it still would allow her to put some distance between her and the woman. Which in turn would give her just enough time to think about everything.

Shaking her head, Yang moved the seat back as she looked across at Weiss. "I'll talk to her. Meet up at the same time tomorrow?" Yang asked knowing that Weiss was probably going to have something to say just because of what the topic was.

"Sounds good. Just... make sure Velvet is alright. She seems to be slipping more and more. Are you sure her parents wouldn't come to try and talk to her? Or some family in General?" Weiss asked as Yang began to rub her eyes again. She knew how this song and dance went really.

"Already tried them Weiss. The only one that is willing to come over, is Velvet's younger sister who is far more fragile mentally. You forget how close the family wants to be with something like this, and one of her sister's in Velvet's eyes contributed to it." Yang said as Weiss just smiled a dry smile. She knew that this might just have been for the best, but it still didn't make this issue any easier.

"Bye Weiss, tell the rest." Yang said closing the door and seeing the car drive off. It brought her a little comfort in knowing that this was going to go by just fine. Velvet would eventually see reason, but Yang also knew that it would require the use of threats that alone would make Velvet, someone who is already in a bad state mentally act on something she probably shouldn't.

' _This is going to be a long night._ '


	8. Chapter 8

 

Chapter 8:

" _Are you sure that you're alright Velvet? Your ears look like they are bleeding." Ruby said softly as Velvet's ears deflated as though she was trying to cover what was happening. Even though Ruby didn't need to see it to know what had been happening. She had seen the like on a number of people and knew what had happened._

" _I'm fine Ruby." Velvet said in a monotone voice trying to convey by the sound of her voice that she wanted to be as far away as possible from Ruby. She knew that Ruby was a strange person in how that she could get Velvet to speak about things more often_ _than_ _not that she would normally keep to herself._

_Walking closer, to Velvet as she could see that Velvet wanted to move, but also at the same time seemed like she was forced to stay in the same spot. "Do you mind if I look at them Velvet? I might not be a doctor like that, but I do still know enough." Ruby asked softly knowing that some Faunus didn't like anyone going near their traits. Not that Ruby would do it normally, it was just because Velvet's room mate had noticed the girl starting to close in on herself and was starting to 'break' mentally. "If you don't want me to, just say 'no'. I'm just trying to help." Ruby said as she could see Velvet just staring at her with a fiery anger in her eyes that Ruby knew wasn't going to be directed at her._

" _I'm fine."_

" _Okay. Do you mind if I tell you how about when I did self harm?" Ruby asked as she could see a shocked look on Velvet's face. Without saying anything, Ruby began to move her sleeves up to show deep looking healed trenches made from something that she had no idea from what. But the thin looking stretches of skin that bridged the two long stretches of skin made her hold her breath with a bated gasp._

" _Yeah, from that time, I learned how to sharpen blades, and how to avoid people looking at the marks. But I mean, nothing really beats the feeling by comparison as confessing to the fact you've done it, when you tell someone who you know won't react negatively towards it." Ruby spoke with a smile as she could see Velvet covering her mouth. "Don't worry though, after all you said your ears_ _scarring_ _and bleeding is nothing." Ruby said as she lowered her sleeves, and just smiled at the timid rabbit Faunus._

" _Um... do you mind... um... what caused that?" Velvet asked softly as Ruby just chuckled a little at the question._

" _Same reason as I don't talk to my parents. Just that happened long before hand. But I still don't want to talk about that." Ruby said softly as she still remembered that single discussion. It was something that was painful to her, just the fact that she only had one that ruined her connection with the people who had raised her and helped her unwittingly become a her. But at least she was going to be able to help Velvet._

_She knew that the only reason Velvet was probably doing something like self harm was from her trying to shoulder too much, or even something someone had said. She'd be able to work out something that would be able to help someone that had started to get close to her. Something that she knew was a fact that was alone more than enough to get a reaction from Yang, but that was neither here nor there to Ruby. She had something far more pressing and present._

" _Right, that is enough about depressing topics. Do you want to do something? I hear there is this really nice roller rink that just opened, that the meanie heads haven't been able to take over in some chest beating to be racist." Ruby said trying to at least get Velvet to chew the information over a bit easier. It was a part that she knew when people tried to understand always forgot. Just some time to let the information sink in._

" _Okay."_

* * *

"Don't act like that Velvet! I'm trying to help you!" Yang yelled at the Faunus who kept her ears as tight to her head as she possibly could. She clearly didn't want Yang or anyone to see something involving them.

"I don't need your help." Velvet muttered as she parted her ears to see where the next assault would come from. She knew that Yang wasn't going to give up on something like this over a statement like that. No matter what it was about, if Yang wanted to help with all the grace of an elephant on a unicycle going through a maternity ward, she would help. Or at least that was a way to describe it that Velvet always found to be apt.

She could just make out the look of shock in Yang's face as she bit her lip to try and wait for some sort of sign as to what she could do in this circumstance. Even though she knew there was nothing that she could really do short of bringing harm to Velvet which alone would act as a counter measure to what she had intended on doing.

Taking a deep breath as she raised her hands, palms stretched towards Velvet, Yang looked at Velvet as she began to debate on how she was meant to help.

"Velvet, I honestly just want to help you. I get it. You are hurting. We all are. No one saw this coming with Ruby, but you can't keep shutting everyone out. Weiss, Blake, even Pyrrha and Reese can't in good conscience grieve given that they all are worried about you." Yang began taking a step back to show Velvet that she didn't mean any harm to her. "But not in the suicidal way. We all just want to make sure you can grieve. And not letting people help you is easily the fastest way to end up in the loony bin at best."

Yang knew that Velvet still wasn't going to crack, but already knew that she might just be doing this to help herself under the guise of helping Velvet. She already knew that she was going to reveal something of importance. Just because Ruby would have mentioned to Yang or anyone if the woman was inconsolable about anything. It was as though it was an unspoken rule. One that Yang couldn't believe that she was glad that Ruby had kept.

Even though at points it was annoying when Ruby would refuse to mention why or even what her reasoning behind it was about. Even if it was something that often taunted Yang when they were living together. Just the thought was a tantalizing thing that had always been able to elude her and all possible answers that were going to come.

"I'm telling you Yang. I don't need your help. I just want the world to stop being happy. It lost one of the greatest people in it, and no one seems to even give a flying frick about it." Velvet began as she continued to rub her ears. She knew the comfort blanket like action wasn't exactly the most well known of her quirks, but she knew that Yang knew it was one that Velvet always did when she was trying to calm herself down. "The world just needs to go dark. Ruby was perfect in every possible way... and she just killed herself. I don't even know why. Do you not know what that is like? Hours before we made love, talked about the future, and even talked about the possible children we would have. I then went to go get some stuff to make her some of those lamb and raspberry sauce that she likes with those carrots. And a nice salad for me. I got home... and I saw just a sea of blood." Velvet said with a frown, knowing that Yang had heard that same statement time and time again had started to anger Velvet but Yang hadn't seemed to be able to understand that.

It was starting to anger Velvet in such a way that she didn't know how she was going to react to the anger that was brewing. She didn't want to hurt Yang but she had already mentioned it at least five times in the last two hours. And Yang just kept trying harder and harder to get Velvet to talk. This was starting to become the bane of her day even if she was including the fist fight in a graveyard.

"Now, can you just leave me to be by myself? I don't want help right now. I don't want to be around the gang right now. I certainly don't want to be around Coco, and if you bring up Vi I swear to god, I'm going to take you up on your previous offer." Velvet said as Yang just pressed her lips into a tight line.

"I'll give you half an hour. Which is going to be just enough for me to make dinner. I found this interesting carrot couscous type thing last night." Yang said as Velvet just frowned and pulled her legs up to her chest. She was content with just staring across the room. Content with just keeping her mind down as she tried to figure out what that faint smell was.

* * *

_Velvet was tense. She knew that at any minute Ruby was going to try again to get the answer from her, but wasn't sure how. The answer as to how though was a mystery. If Velvet was being honest, she feared that Ruby was going to be able to figure out the answer long in advance._

_It even seemed like she had. But that still raised so many more questions to Velvet. Principally amongst all the questions she had brewing being that she had no idea how._

_Ruby never let on like she knew, and certainly didn't even tell her anything about how she figured something out that countless other people that were arguably closer to her than Ruby was. It was something baffling considering that simple thing._

_Smiling a little at the sight of Ruby pushing off back towards her. The way the wheels just began to roll at an almost intoxicating speed. Velvet wasn't sure if this was what the therapist had planned during a bout of her free time, or even if that really was how she was going to get Velvet to talk._

_Coming to a stop next to Velvet, Ruby just smiled at her causing Velvet just to feel her mind starting to wander once more as the urge to just dig her thumbnail into her ear grew. She knew that in some twisted way, this had to have been Ruby's plan and she hated to admit that it was actually working._

" _Just tell me what it is already!" Velvet hissed as Ruby just glanced at her, her smile falling as she tried to chew the idea over in her mind._

" _What what is? I thought we were just skating? Should we be doing something?" Ruby asked in as coy a manner as possible. If she was being honest she being honest, she hadn't expected Velvet start to crack just yet._

" _Why are you doing this? Talking about self harm and then just coming to do this?" Velvet asked fearing the answer was something along the lines of her just making a mountain out of a_ _molehill_ _and this really was just a nice outing._

" _Because, I find you to be a nice person, and don't want to see you hurting. Which is only where self harm will lead. Trust me, I know from experience. But it shouldn't matter if what you claim to be true about you being 'fine'" Ruby said with a smile figuring out that Velvet was really just trying to make the fake pressure lift._

" _It is. I'm fine. Everything is fine."_

" _That's great then. Race you around the rink." Ruby said as she pushed off once more. Laughing at the sight of Velvet just standing there, not having moved since they got there and the skates on. She knew that it wasn't going to be long before Velvet would start talking._


	9. Chapter 9

 

Chapter 9:

Velvet frowned as she looked at the meal in front of her. She knew that Yang was trying to make her something she could eat and even appetising, but the scorched meal was a little appalling. Not to mention the smell of the charcoal like meal was enough to make Velvet wish she couldn't smell. Just the way it had been able to constantly assault her senses without her even doing anything but being in the same area as it.

"Okay, I'll admit... I screwed the pooch on the meal. But I haven't tried it before, and Vegetarian dishes are surprisingly hard. I mean I can't be the only person who you know who screwed up something like that." Yang said with a smile as she took another bite. She didn't like the taste but she had just spent a lot of time making it, she'd be damned getting stuck with the whole lot of nothing for her time.

"It is actually how Ruby and I spent our first date. Me teaching her how to cook vegetarian things." Velvet muttered as she started to pick around the food trying to find the closest unscorched bits.

"I thought it was the roller rink." Yang asked, a small smile on her face started to grow at just thinking about how this had been the least aggressive Velvet had been when talking about Ruby in a while.

Normally it had just been a doom talk about anything and everything that had started it. She didn't want anyone thinking about Ruby let alone her actually talking about her. It was something that if Yang was confident in calling it, it was progress. As though Velvet was starting to get a small bit better even if she was the one to reveal that much about Ruby.

It meant that Velvet was starting to open up, even if it was something that Yang was sure Ruby must have told her at least a dozen and a half times beforehand, but it never really mattered to her. Not like now, where Velvet seemed to be opening up. The only question was would this victory be short lived and snapped shut, or would be a sign for what was to come.

"No. The rink was Ruby trying to get me to talk about something. And that was about three months before our actual first date. I still remember that trick you pulled on us." Velvet said with a soft smile, dropping the fork onto the mound of food that remained as she moved the plate forward. "Something, that we both joked about just a month ago. Specifically how she never did like coming out of closets." Velvet continued as she pulled her knees to her chest.

She was ready to just go to sleep and put the entire day behind her. She wanted to forget about the whole crap shoot that the day had started and was now ending. The mere fact she was getting forced to live through these memories was starting to hurt her.

If she knew why Yang was trying to get her to live through them again, she might stop her. But that was where the problem really laid. How was she meant to know what Yang was trying? She thought she would know what Ruby was trying and clearly that wasn't the case. It was made even worse was the fact that Yang was just like Ruby in that regard. Velvet could never get a read on them.

Which if Velvet was being honest, she'd felt so much worse about that simple fact. How was she meant to be able to feel better about this, because she didn't see something that should have been obvious. Ruby shouldn't have screamed it at her. Velvet should have noticed the signs of Ruby not being happy any more. From how she had all of a sudden after being a bit downtrodden to being just happy.

It was so obvious in hindsight. But why couldn't it be obvious in the situations. That seemed to be what was hurting Velvet the most.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Yang asked as she noticed Velvet having not really done anything in what felt like hours.

"I'm fine." Velvet snapped harsher than what she intended. Or at least that was what Yang had hoped. She went from being open and talking, to just backstepping to what the way she had been acting just days prior. Something that was making Yang want to pull her hair out.

Velvet had started to make so much progress, to then return to figuratively biting the head off of Yang. It was almost like there had been no progress to her entire mindset. Before she could even ask what was the matter a second time, Velvet stood up. "Seeing as you banned me from visiting my wife for the night, I'm heading to bed." Velvet stated in such a monotone manner that Yang knew most likely would mean the Faunus would be talking to the air again.

Almost praying that her words would be carried to Ruby.

Taking a deep breath, Yang could see Velvet walking towards the room leaving Yang alone. She knew that the isolation she was feeling now, was going to be the main anger behind being alone and why she supposed she liked Velvet being around, or even why she had been constantly surrounding herself with people.

To fend off her own worst enemy. ' _I should start scrubbing those dishes... even if it will only give me half an hour max of something to do._ ' Yang thought as she stood up and started to collect the burnt offerings and started to just scrape the dishes. She didn't like the idea that her mind was starting to slide out of control from her.

She had to snap out of it, just for the simple fact that she knew where that was going to go. And she didn't like that. For the sole reason of how she wouldn't be able to continue her small sobriety stent. Just the idea of it was making Yang debate it. She couldn't have it because she wouldn't have anyone really at this time to call to bail her out.

Placing the dishes in the sink, Yang stared at the stack that awaited her. Glancing over towards the clear bottle filled with the clear pink liquid that Yang knew contained the gift Ruby had gotten her her last birthday being the strawberry liqueur. Sniffling as she looked towards the stack of dishes again. ' _Let's clean these I can wait until Velvet has her place back._ ' Yang thought calmly as she begun to let the hot water pour into the sink, as she uncapped the dishwashing soap and begun to pour in some of the yellow liquid.

' _Once that is done, I can enjoy drinking it. Because Velvet will be able to get over this faster._ '

* * *

_Yang knew something was up with Ruby because of how she had danced around the apartment. A smile as almost nothing would bring her down. She already knew that there had to be something extraordinary going on given how she had just walked in through the door from work._

_Normally she would be slightly saddened and want to do something with Yang to take her mind off the matter of how something would have happened at work that would have removed all of the joy from her life seemingly._

_But this was different._

_Not that Yang had something against her sister being happy all things considered, but it was starting to make her debate if questioning some of her sister's colleagues, was a wise or not decision. Even if it was going to be ultimately her getting hounded and made to feel so much dumber._

_As Ruby came into the room again, she plopped down onto the seat next to Yang. Smiling as she held the plate of cookies towards the blonde. Taking one carefully as she stared at Ruby, Yang knew something was definitely up at this point. Ruby sharing cookies was something that seldom happened. The only other times it had happened was when Ruby was really down in the dumps over countless other things._

" _What gives? Show me your arms." Yang said as Ruby just laughed a little at the serious question coming from her sister._

" _I'm not cutting Yang. I'm just in a good mood. I'm actually starting to really feel something with Velvet. And before you even ask, yes I'm willingly not thinking about how she might freak out at the fact I wasn't born a genetic girl. I just want to enjoy this as is now. Don't take that away from me." Ruby said as Yang raised her feet so they were resting on the coffee table._

" _Fine. It is just that isn't a small thing and normally you aren't this happy." Yang said as she raised the cookie up getting met with a hand smacking it out of her hand. Taking a deep breath, Yang turned her head to look at Ruby who had one of the fiercest pouts that she had ever seen._

" _Way to make me remember. Meanie." Ruby said as she moved the plate onto her other side, so it was as far away from Yang as it could while giving her the same unhindered access to it. She knew then and there that Ruby really hadn't not thought about it. She just didn't want to think about it at that moment._

_Standing up, Yang walked over to where the cookie had landed and picked it up. Taking a bite she just smiled at the look of disgust that had started to drift onto Ruby's face at the sight. Smirking, Yang shrugged her shoulders as she walked towards her seat again. Plopping down, Yang took another bite, just enjoying how the cookie tasted but also how Ruby just started to feel uncomfortable at the sight._

" _Still good. So tell me, what makes this rabbit girl different? I mean have you gals fucked yet?" Yang asked loving the blush that had started to form on her little sister's face. How could it get better? To Yang there really was no way it could. She just wanted to punish Ruby for smacking the cookie out of her hand and by extension her hand. "I mean, have you guys even gotten to first base? Which let's face it to a prude like you, that is like going into the kinkiest things ever." Yang continued as Ruby began to pull her shirt up to cover her face._

" _Shut up Yang. We aren't even going out. Right now we are just friends."_

" _Friends with benefits? Oh my god did you eat her out? That would explain a lot." Yang said as Ruby started to bat at her shoulder. She knew at this point there really was no for it to get better. She had won, and everything from this point was just icing on the cake._

" _No. To both. We just went roller skating yesterday, as platonic friends. Do I wish there was more there, yes. But if we can only be friends then I'm fine with that. What we have right now is fine." Ruby said as she picked up one of the cookies, figuring that there was nothing Yang could add that would make this worse for her._

" _Yeah... you two are totally fucking. Question is are you a greedy lover? I'm guessing not in the normal sense." Yang muttered as Ruby dropped the cookie onto the plate next to her._

" _Oh. My. God. Last time I come to you with something huge like that." Ruby began as she bent forward and grabbed the remote, quickly turning on the tv. "Let's just watch some crap tv."_

* * *

' _That really was the last time wasn't it?_ ' Yang thought as she stared at the stack of dishes. Trying to figure out what could be done around the home now.

Pushing of the counter, she scanned the rooms and started to regret how she liked to live in a minimal style apartment. ' _It is too early to really go to sleep. I suppose one drink won't be enough for me to get that bad._ ' Yang thought as she reached out and grabbed the bottle that had been almost taunting her since she started to work on the dishes.


	10. Chapter 10

 

Chapter 10:

Velvet sniffled a little as she got up from her rest. It was a little strange to her that Yang seemingly didn't come to the bed that night, but figured it was mostly down to the fact of how tired she was. She hadn't even realised how much was just taken out of her yesterday, but still, she knew figured Yang climbing into the bed was going to be enough for her to wake up. Even if it was a little.

Letting her ears lay flat on her head, Velvet began to walk out of the room, looking for her blonde sister in law. She knew that the woman clearly drank last night given the unmistakeable smell of alcohol. The way it just burned her nose was something that she knew was the reason that Yang didn't want to venture into the bedroom.

The smell alone would have been enough to wake Velvet up. Walking into the living room, expecting to see Yang laying on the couch or floor holding a bottle or two, she stopped at the sight of just three bottles on the floor with a note resting on the coffee table.

Walking in, covering her nose Velvet picked up the note. Velvet just felt a little like Yang was a let down at this point. She had promised Velvet that she wouldn't drink until Velvet felt better. She had even gone awhile without drinking.

Reading the note, she frowned at how it was almost a carbon copy of the one that she had left the previous day. The only reason she didn't think it was the same was from the addition of how Velvet should write the letter for Summer, and gave her the number to a few different people that would at least be impartial.

Sighing, Velvet placed the note back down and brought her knees up to her chest. ' _I'm not doing that. But I should probably visit Ruby... which means I need to have a shower._ ' Velvet thought as she made up her entire day in that instant. She knew exactly what she would do for the simple fact of how it was going to be just the way she'd want it.

Walking towards the room, Velvet opened the drawer Yang had given her and pulled out the hoodie that Ruby had given her on one of their first dates because she was cold. She knew that if Ruby was looking down on her, she'd still have a decent smile at the sight of how she still had it. Once she pulled that out she pulled out some of her normal jeans and tossed them onto the bed. Grabbing the towels on the back of the hook of Yang's door, she quickly walked into the bathroom.

Velvet reached into the shower and turned it on, just letting the water cascade down. It allowed her to just think. And take into fact that it had been a while since she had actually properly cleaned herself. Most of the time it had just been her making sure she looked presentable to Ruby. But seeing as she would be wearing something that was of such importance to her, from where Ruby gave her the clothes off her back so she'd be warm. It just seemed wrong to not wash up properly.

Once the water was at the right temperature for her, Velvet disrobed and climbed into the shower. Her ears flexing back so to not let water flow into them. She just closed her eyes and frowned at herself. She missed Ruby climbing into the shower with her and wash her ears.

' _I miss you Ruby._ ' Velvet thought, as she just continued to let the water run along her body.

* * *

_Smiling as she took a seat looking at Pyrrha who had the one year old on her lap. Just the sight caused Ruby to smile brighter. "Thank you so much Ruby." Pyrrha said as she could see Ruby just 'awwing' at the sight of the child._

" _Do you want to hold him?" Pyrrha asked as Ruby looked at the red haired woman with determination in her eyes. Holding both her hands out, Pyrrha began to lift the small child out of her lap and hand it to the woman who made this entire thing possible._

" _What's his name?" Ruby asked as he just grabbed onto one of Ruby's fingers._

" _Jason. But only because Pyrrha won't let me change it to Reginald Von Kickass." Reese said taking the seat holding two mugs._

" _That might as well me child abuse." Pyrrha said glad that they had been able to get him. It was all made possible from the help of the girl sitting with them. Between the restless nights from fighting with Reese about it, to having restless nights from wondering what was holding up them getting him._

" _I see you've changed your opinion on this adorable guy." Ruby said with a small laugh as she began to wag her finger that Jason held onto. She had to admit that she knew Reese was going to change her mind once she held onto him. She already knew it would take a heart of stone to not feel something about the baby in her lap._

" _He just has all these little socks and booties... and I get to teach him how to be cool. I mean... if he was a girl then I still could but it is just so much harder to get a girl interested in things like that." Reese said as Ruby just smiled at the thought of the boy in her lap becoming just like a miniature version of Reese. Even down to the attitude towards authority figures._

" _So what has been up with you Ruby?" Pyrrha asked as Ruby just smiled brighter at the child smiling at her. "Nothing really. I met this really cute girl_ _awhile_ _back. And before you start teasing, I get enough of that from Yang. We aren't even going out." Ruby stated calmly as she fought the urge to just continue focusing on the baby to look at her friends._

" _We are actually meeting here to go on a first date though. And I swear if either of you tell Yang." Ruby snipped, not changing her tone so the baby in her lap wouldn't get confused by what was happening then possibly crying. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she let that happen. She wanted to just hold onto the child in her lap for a little longer._

_Holding up her hands in defence, Pyrrha didn't want to try and anger Ruby. Especially after all she did. It seemed like the least. "Have a fun date with her then. Just remember, don't skip the foreplay. That is like the most important part." Reese teased as Ruby began to pout._

" _Last time I tell you guys anything." Ruby stated as she handed the child over, already seeing the rabbit Faunus standing outside looking unsure as to_ _whether_ _or not she should stay. Standing up from her seat, Ruby smiled at the two women and spoke up again. "I'll see you two around."_

 _walking out of the coffee shop, Ruby shoved the door open and just took in the blinding light of the sun. '_ This is going to be a fun date regardless. I get to spend time with Velvet. _'_

* * *

Pyrrha and Reese just smiled as the walked in through the door. Both taking in the sight of Yang looking like she hadn't even slept in days. Both unsure of how long Yang had been there but from the sight of her sleeves rolled up and the dumping of the bloody water meant it had to have been for a while.

"If either of you want to get the blood out of the carpet, that will be helpful." Yang said as she turned the hot water on again. Just letting it start to almost boil, as she grabbed a new bottle of bleach. "And if the other could go and get some more bleach and some new sponges that would be nice as well." Yang said as she poured some of the yellow tinged liquid into the basin. As a coating of that rest at the bottom, Yang plunged the basin under the hot water to collect some of the liquid.

Taking the now full basin out Yang grabbed one of the rags and tossed it into the container. "Are you feeling alright Yang?" Pyrrha asked as she stepped closer to the blonde who had a determined look in her eyes.

"I'm feeling fine. I just couldn't sleep last night." Yang half lied as she plunged the rag fully into the water ignoring the burning sensation actually feeling some comfort there. Just so it would remind her of her goal and keep her awake. Or at least awake enough to finish what she had started hours ago. Even if it would only give her what she sought at this point.

Something, anything really just to get her mind off the matter of what to do after this and how she ruined her promise. She knew that Velvet would have already found the bottles, and probably would have ignored her request for writing a letter, but also probably started her ritual of going to Ruby's grave.

"Are you sure you are feeling fine?" Reese asked as Yang pulled the rag out and started to wring it free of the water.

"Given everything, yes. I'm feeling fine. I couldn't sleep, figured you two would want to spend some more time with Jason, Weiss is probably buying something right now that's sole purpose is to do this because she ruined one of her dresses, and Blake is probably trying to find a way to avoid the smell." Yang said as she could see the two other people walking in behind Pyrrha and Reese.

Taking a deep breath, Yang closed her eyes and just contemplated kicking the quartet out and just finish the job herself. She had been here for hours and been able to do large amounts of the work herself. What was finishing it by herself by comparison really?

Frowning Blake walked in a bit more, glad that she had the foresight to put on the nose plugs before she started to climb the stairs. But the sight of her friend nearly going crazy and just throwing herself into her work was starting to make them everyone a little uneasy.

"Yang, I'm pretty sure we all get it. This is a nice distraction from reality. But you do still need to rest." Blake said trying to be the voice of reason that she knew most of the time Yang would listen to.

It was a simple thing that was made all the more obvious was what Yang really needed at that moment. She needed someone to tell her this was crazy, and continuing down this route was a place she knew Yang wouldn't like. Practically everyone there knew where that same thing would lead. Somewhere where Yang would be of no help to anyone.

Something that would make Yang pull her hair out that much faster. Yang liked being able to help people, especially in situations like this, but still needed to be told that lose of herself wasn't really going to do anyone any good every once in awhile.

The simple fact that right now, they were going to have a tough time to convince Yang to just relax, but depending on how long she had been there, they might be able to spend the bulk of the time that remained focusing on Yang to try and help her. Even if they only got so far, it would still seem like they made leaps and bounds.

They could actually help Yang instead of just seemingly being a tax on her right now. If they could help her then maybe they would have been able to accomplish something of value. And once all that was done they could conquer the hardest challenge. Helping Velvet.

"Look, I'm fine. There is about another hour's work in the room excluding cleaning the rug and bedding. If we get that done, we are done by noon really then we can play 'what's wrong with Yang because she isn't being a hindrance'. Okay? We in an agreement? Good. Let's do that." Yang said as she gripped the wet rag and begun to walk back towards the room.

She wasn't going to let Velvet suffer more than she would need to. They could solve this for her and by extension have everything done for her to just move back in. As she came to what remained of her current victory, she knelt down and started to furiously scrub the floor. It just seemed to really be never ending. But the end was still insight. They could do it. They had to do it. It was the least they owed Ruby after getting so much from her at no other cost.


	11. Chapter 11

 

Chapter 11:

Yang took a deep breath as she got comfortable in her seat. Already exhausted from a mixture of lack of sleep added up with the bonus of the hard work was taxing. She had no idea how she was able to stay up this long. Let alone actually do something that was possible going to hurt Velvet just as much as not being in the home for just as long.

It had to be done however. She knew that there was next to nothing that could be done for now. Not until Blake got back from the store with all the air freshener that the entire place so desperately needed. She knew that with nothing that she could do, she just had to work through all of this. It had to be done. Even if it was going to be earth shattering in the short run. The long run it would help her a lot more than just being in Yang's shoddy apartment and the grave of her lover.

Taking a seat as she took in the exhausted sight of her friends looking like they were a matter of minutes away from getting up close to the blonde and wrapping her in a hug. Something that she used to have a desire for, but now it just seemed wrong.

Especially in a place like this.

The final place that Ruby would have seen and the final place that Yang remembered Ruby actually telling her of something important developing in her life. Something that she couldn't believe that now she had mocked. Ruby had tried to confide in her something that was important and she just mocked.

She supposed if she was being honest that was the main reason that she drank last night, and even why she had been there since four in the morning.

She mocked her sister as she was trying to tell her something important in her life. Something that was essentially her entire world at that point. She backed Ruby into a figurative corner that didn't really exist. She made Ruby feel like she couldn't even talk to her about anything that didn't involve her specifically.

"Yang... you should probably get some rest. Even if it is for half an hour, it will do you some good." Pyrrha said, channelling her mother like tone when looking at her blonde friend who had already started to run herself ragged at this point. Even though she was already nearly there.

"I'm fine Pyrrha. I can sleep when Velvet is starting to recover. Once I know she isn't going to be seconds away from throwing herself in front of a car. Or tying a length of rope around her neck and jumping. Something I fear will become more and more likely if she doesn't listen to me and write a fucking letter." Yang stated as she leaned back in her seat. Glad that he knew that Blake was going to be there soon. She had to be.

If not for the sake of getting out of the place, but for Yang's state of exhaustion. She had to be there. No matter how short of a time since she nearly ran at the chance to let up on her nose. The constant stream of the smell must have been almost murder to her. Even though it had long since lost that way with the people with less of a heightened sense of smell.

"Are you positive that you are fine Yang? Jason does the same thing when nothing is fine." Reese said trying to cut through the attitude that Yang had adopted. She knew that there had to be something that was bothering her. Even if it was something minor, but there had to be something on her mind.

"Well, I'm not a seven year old boy. I'm a thirty four year old woman. With a thirty five year old sister in law who I assume the only reason she hasn't taken the swan dive off the tallest building is out of spite towards my parents." Yang stated in such a dry tone that it brought a certain amount of alertness to the group. They all knew that Yang hadn't been in her normal joking mood as of late, but she'd never be this dry and straight forward. It was alarming and almost revolting.

Taking a breath as Yang stood up, cracking her back as she just started to smile at the how they had started to come together after everything. "I'm putting the kettle on. Any of you want tea or coffee?" Yang asked as she walked towards the kitchen and pulled out the small plastic bag that she had been glad that she had gotten the previous day.

"Yang, we can take care of that. You do know it is okay to not focus on something." Weiss said as Yang tensed up at the thought. She didn't want to think about what that was going to happen in that moment. What other memories would come to the forefront of her mind that showed how she helped Ruby just as much as anything else.

"That isn't an option Weiss." Yang said as began to pull down some of the mugs that she knew were going to not hold special merit to Velvet or had special meaning to Ruby. That was going to make it so much harder to do anything really if they just started to pile on things. Even if in the end, that would allow Yang to think less and less.

As she already figured what the others would want to drink Yang had to focus on something. And at that moment it had to be making a hot drink for her friends to have. That was all Yang knew she could do at this point. Just constantly moving the goal post from what she had to focus on. Once Velvet was better she supposed that she could then keep the goal posts in a stationary position and just let her world crumble.

"It is an option Yang. It is an option, and is easily the healthiest option." Weiss muttered walking back to her seat and taking it. Yang closed her eyes and took a deep breath as though she was trying to prevent the urge she had to just snap at her friends. Even if they had just been trying to help her. She knew that if she snapped at them that she wasn't going to be able to forgive herself. They didn't deserve her anger. That purely should be reserved to her and their parents.

* * *

_Ruby smiled as her head rested on Velvet's leg. Glad that Velvet had made such a lovely plan for them to do on a first date. Ruby knew that she was a glutton for learning and it just so happened that Velvet was willing to teach her how to cook something vegetarian style. She was content with how it was starting to turn out really._

_The only way it could get better to Ruby was if her and Velvet were kissing, but already knew what they had to cross over before that and that had been a massive worry for her. Even if what she thought would be Velvet's reaction was right. It would still take her a long length of time to just process it._

_Something that Ruby knew well was going to be hard for anyone to process. And the worst part really was that she knew that she couldn't really rush the news of something like that._

_Instead, Ruby was going to need to just enjoy the old black and white movie that Velvet had selected. It was one of the most adorable things that Ruby had seen in_ _awhile_ _. Even if it wasn't the best movie in the sense of story telling, or even in how the characters were being illogical. But it was still a lovely movie._

" _Ruby?" Velvet asked causing Ruby to turn to look at her. "Can... can... can I kiss you?" Velvet asked as Ruby just giggled a little at the thought that it probably had taken Velvet hours just to well up the courage to ask that._

" _Of course silly." Ruby said, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind screaming at her. Trying to demand her to pull back. To tell Velvet no._

_But the thought of Velvet's lips on hers was one that she wanted. One that she practically needed. As Velvet leaned down, her ears falling just on the other side of Ruby's head._

_They were so close that Ruby could feel the Faunus' breath on her lips causing her heart to leap. Leap being the operative word given how she could almost feel Velvet's lips when the sound of her phone ringing ruined the moment._

'I swear to Baal that if this is someone calling me into work right now I'm going to be so mad. _' Ruby thought as Velvet pulled back fully, blushing a dark shade of red as though she just got caught in a compromising position._

" _Ruby. don't talk. I need you to come bail me out. And don't read too far into this, but can you also bring me some pants?" Yang all but yelled into the phone as Ruby could hear the slurring coming from her meaning one important thing to Ruby._

" _How do you lose your pants Yang? Tell me you are at least decent." Ruby asked exasperated as she tried to fight the urge just to teach Yang a lesson and not go and help her out, but already knew that she had to. She couldn't leave Yang pantsless and in police custody with her temper._

" _Does it matter? I just need pants, and my baby sister to come bail me out." Yang said fast as Ruby took a deep breath and looked at Velvet, trying to show how sorry she was that she'd have to leave. Even if she didn't want to, she still had to help her sister who has already given her so much support for some of the toughest times in her life._

" _I'll be there in twenty minutes. Don't do something stupid Yang. Just keep yourself covered and don't back talk any of the police there." Ruby said and once she heard a goodbye coming from Yang she hung up her phone._

_Sitting up, Ruby could see the look of hurt on Velvet's face. Leaning in, Ruby planted a kiss on Velvet's lips, and nearly laughed at the shocked expression on the rabbit Faunus' face. Pulling back Ruby just smiled at her._

" _Sorry Velvet. I loved this, but Yang got arrested again. My_ _money's_ _on drunken disorderly... or assault." Ruby said as Velvet just lowered her ears so she could grab the tips just to cover the dusting of red on her cheeks. "And you look cute when you blush." Ruby said standing up with Velvet._

_She just knew the blush Velvet was hiding behind the long ears would have darkened. "We should do this again soon." Ruby said as Velvet just smiled letting out a simple 'okay' as Ruby walked out of the door._

_Closing the door, Velvet nearly jumped at the sight of her brunette haired roommate just smirking. "Ru-Ru-Ruby? Can... can... can I kiss you?" Coco said as she gripped her sides and started to laugh causing Velvet's embarrassment to be replaced with rage at the comments._

" _COCO! I told you don't eaves drop!" Velvet yelled storming towards the woman who nearly fell over as she was laughing as hard as she could._

" _I'm sorry. I just really wanted some food and I heard that. But she is right_ _Cottontail_ _. You do look a little cute when you blush."_

* * *

Velvet sniffled as she looked at the grave. She didn't know what to say given how she had already said practically everything that she felt like Ruby would want to hear. She didn't even mention how Yang seemingly started to drink again.

But the sense of peace that she was feeling at the thought of how Ruby would have been happy given how she would have been glad that Yang hadn't gotten into any real trouble as of late. The sense of peace getting all but ruined at the sound of footsteps stopping just next to her.

"Hey Cottontail. Can we talk?"


	12. Chapter 12

 

Chapter 12:

"Coco. If I turn around and you are standing there, I will start throwing punches." Velvet said calmly, closing her eyes. Trying her hardest to not break the promise she made Ruby when she was being dragged out the previous day. She didn't want to have Ruby witness a fight like yesterday.

Even if this wasn't Ruby's Mom. She knew that this fight would hurt Ruby more. Even if it was from something that she knew deep down would be worth it. Coco would have had it coming. For the simple fact that Ruby bailed the woman out from multiple theft charges.

No matter what Coco would say, Velvet wasn't in the mood to hear it. Hell if Velvet was being honest, she'd state that she would want to leave the country and take Ruby's grave with her. Then they could be alone forever.

"Cottontail. Come on. You haven't let me say my piece. I know it might seem bad given how things turned out. And I have no doubt I contributed to it. But you won't even let me talk to my best friend." Coco said as Velvet closed her eyes tighter and brought her knees further into her chest. She just wanted the world to swallow either her or Coco alive at this point. If that could happen then maybe then everything would seem right.

"Don't call me that." Velvet snapped in less of the playful tone she once would have used. Instead this one was just filled with contempt. With rage and contempt. The woman shouldn't be allowed to even look at Ruby's grave in Velvet's eyes. "I said we couldn't possible keep paying your rent for you if Ruby wanted to get her dream, and your response was to shoplift several hundred dollars worth of clothes." Velvet continued as she closed her eyes tighter to just help her pray that this woman was going to disappear.

As the silence started to tick along, from the bluntness of that single statement, Coco sighed knowing that Velvet was right. It really did seem that bad Ruby had to bail her out and now she was facing some serious charges being brought up against her. But right now Coco knew that her friend still needed her. No matter how hard she was going to try to fight it.

"I'll admit, I fucked up. I fucked up big time. But she bailed out how many people that night? Seven? Yourself included. And I know for you it was mistaken identity, but that still leaves six others. And I know even that isn't an excuse really. But from what I've been told, you know Ruby would hate this attitude. She literally smacked me for freaking out on your wedding day because Yang and Pyrrha were busy doing your hair and makeup leaving me to my often self defeatist thoughts." Coco stated as she tried to get some source of response from her once extremely close friend.

She didn't want one of the closest friendships she had be ruined from one stupid decision. She knew that nothing really should make her feel like that she was alone, and knew that Velvet wasn't going to listen given that the Faunus had a penchant for declaring people dead and then never seeing them again. Something that Coco couldn't be able to let happen given everything.

She had to let Velvet know that she wasn't going to be alone. Coco didn't want to lose her best friend, but also didn't care if it was a choice between her and Velvet's sanity. She would gladly never see the woman again if that is what it meant. It would be an easy price for her to pay.

"You beyond fucked up." Velvet hissed not wanting to allow everyone around today to call the cops on her as she was being a disturbance. She didn't want to have to be inside when Yang would inevitably call her to take her away from this because she had been drunk and disorderly. "Weiss had a reckless driving, Yang her almost normal drunken disorderly, Blake had a trespassing, and Pyrrha and Reese had public intoxication. But you stole, five hundred dollars worth of clothes and accessories. Ruby had to drain almost every cent we had saved up because we wanted to start a family just to get you out." Velvet continued her near silent tirade as she started to stare holes into the headstone.

She didn't want to even look at Coco on the off chance that her anger would come out in full. The idea of being able to just stare at the headstone instead of getting tight metal confines placed onto her wrists again. Just the thought of it was almost nauseating. She didn't want Ruby to ever see her like that again. Just because that was one of the last things that she had to do before she ended her life.

Even if the illusion of them all being able to act their age in some cases was short lived, it would still make Velvet feel that much better thinking that Ruby could rest in peace. Something that she almost seldom was able to get when she was alive. For now though, Velvet knew that short of Summer coming back that she could give Ruby that simple gesture. She just hoped that she would be able to give Ruby that simple thing time and time again.

Taking a breath, Coco began to chew her bottom lip as she tried to think of something that she could say to just get Velvet to look at her, or give her any sign that she wasn't going to be a threat to herself. She knew that once she got that then everything was going to be okay. Even if it was only on the surface, Coco just knew that once she could see her friend was alright then she could at least breathe a lot easier.

"Again. I know I fucked up. I fucked up huge. What more do you want me to say? It was a stupid decision on my part, and I would have called my parents. It is just Ruby was right there and she saw me." Coco said as Velvet finally broke the promise that she made to herself and turned to look at Coco.

That simple action she couldn't believe was coming from Coco. From all the possible things that she could have said to try and get Velvet to side with her. Instead, she was going to make it seem like Ruby doing the good thing was wrong.

She could feel her blood boil at the sheer mention of it. Almost to the point that she was debating if she could get away with stabbing her once very close friend. Or the much easier option at that point in time, smacking her head repeatedly against one of the many grave markers that littered the area.

"You know once she sees someone in trouble she can't help but help them. The simple fact that you not only thought that an appropriate response to not being able to afford something because you had to act like an adult was to steal it but now you are blaming a woman who thus far has not only helped pay for your rent but spent every unallocated penny she had to get you out. This is why I didn't want to talk to you!" Velvet yelled hoping that no one was going to be startled enough to look in their direction. "You can't even accept the blame. You are just like everyone else from the gang. We all drove her to a far too early of a grave and now you are blaming _her_?" Velvet snapped as she could see a mane of blonde walking into the area.

"Honestly... you might think you've lost me, but that day, I lost my everything. Ranging from a will to live to even a reason to get up in the morning. You don't get the right to talk about losing something that night. So just leave me alone until I contact you." Velvet said as she tried to push Coco away further and faster.

Even if it was for the simple fact of how she could feel tears starting to well up. She didn't want to let anyone see her like this again. She wanted to just be alone with Ruby. The fact that Yang was coming in didn't make it any easier. They were both going to try and make her talk or worse yet make her actually move from the spot with Ruby.

She didn't want to leave, even if it was for the simple fact that she wanted to just be with her wife. That simple thing was something that she practically needed really. She just wanted to be left alone so she could talk with Ruby. The closer Yang got while Coco was there as well was making Velvet feel like there was a noose tightening around her neck.

"Cottontail, I can see you are hurting, and you even started to cut your ears again with your finger nails. I'm worried about you. Even if I haven't talked to anyone else in the gang, I already know they are starting to worry as well. You know that Ruby wouldn't want you to do that. Any of it. It took her a long time to get you to not do self harm." Coco spoke again, trying to coax Velvet from this self destructive path. She knew that Velvet's own worst enemy had always been herself.

No matter how much anyone tried, with the exception of Ruby, no one had never been able to pull Velvet from her own worst enemy. Something that at that exact moment, Coco knew that everyone was jealous of Ruby from how she found it so easy to get people to not shut her out.

Taking a deep breath, Velvet looked towards the grave again trying to make it clear to Yang that she wasn't in the mood to talk. She just wanted to be there, to stare into the grave and count the days down until she could be with Ruby once again. Just that thing was going to make her feel so much more at ease. The idea of them being able to hold each other at night again.

"Velvet. It is time for you to eat." Yang said deciding to not bring up the fact that Coco seemed to be sitting next to her. Just waiting patiently for Velvet to say or do something that would signify to the duo that she was fine. Something that made any and all seconds that Yang was standing there that much more tense.

"I want to stay longer. Just five more minutes Yang. The air will do you good now anyway. I can still smell the booze off you. And sweat. Lots of sweat." Velvet said as she started to raise the red hoodie above her nose just to block the smells flooding her senses. She normally would have yelled at Yang for not having washed up before coming here, but right now, she was just going to have to settle.

"Sorry, if it makes you feel better I didn't get drunk. Intentionally. And I had to go help some people. I just saw the time. It is a bit late. We should really get something to eat." Yang said trying to get the woman to move. She had no doubt that the spot where she was sitting was going to become a permanent testament to her being there from just the dead flora from someone constantly sitting on it.

"It doesn't make me feel better. Just like how Coco being here doesn't make me feel better. Just like how Ruby is dead doesn't." Velvet began wrapping her free arm around her legs. Trying to make it known that she didn't want to leave. She wanted to just stay contently in her spot. Even if it was for a few more minutes.

Just a few more minutes to be with her late wife. That didn't seem like it was so much to ask of the universe.

Walking over and taking a seat next to Velvet, Yang just looked at the grave and smiled a little trying to show how this was perfectly fine. "Not what I meant. But if you want a few minutes fine. We can wait a few more minutes. I don't mind. Do you mind Coco?" Yang asked as the woman just got comfortable anew.

"No."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

Velvet frowned as she sat at the table with the gang of friends that she had since before the tragedy that was her wife's suicide. The vegetarian feast that laid before her just seemed to not have the normal taste to it. The fact that Coco sat amongst them as well made her feel as though it was planned.

She wouldn't even put it past her friends. She knew that they had a penchant for planning things in an almost dangerous degree. Even if it was something that normally would be perfectly fine and normal, but how they'd act was in the interim was what made it dangerous.

"Velvet, you need to eat." Yang said as Velvet just frowned.

Her eyes, never even lifting from the plate as she just tried to resist the urge to throw the plate at the next person that talked. She couldn't believe that her anger was starting to set in, at these simple questions, or even from the simple fact that some of them just smiled.

Feeling her shirt get tugged a little, Velvet looked down to see Jason just looking at her with a questioning look in his ever curious eyes. She knew that he was going to try and question her mood, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to not snap at him. She didn't want to, but at the same time she knew that it was possible.

"You look hurt Velvet. Would some ice cream make you feel better? Ice cream always makes me feel better." Jason asked as Velvet just put on as good of a smile as she could muster. She wanted to snap at the child that a simple bowl of ice cream wasn't going to help the pain she was feeling any. All it would do is make her feel worse given how she had been feeling.

"Ice cream won't help with what I'm feeling." Velvet said as the boy just looked down as though he was in deep thought. Trying to figure out something that would make Velvet feel better. It was at least a partially pleasant feeling given how the child seemed to be the only person that had been trying to figure out a way to make her feel better.

"Is it because of Ruby?" The child asked in such a manner that it almost seemed like he knew and was hoping for it to not be the answer.

"Yeah." Velvet said softly as she was startled from the sudden hug coming from the child. She could see Reese starting to walk around as though she was trying to stop the child from saying something that she knew she couldn't take back for him.

Velvet just started to smile a small smile at the concern and warmth that came from the hug from the child. Reaching down, Velvet returned the hug gingerly as she waited for the reasoning to come from the child. She figured there had to be one given how there was always one.

"I miss her too. But Mom assures me that she would be in a better place looking down on us. And that makes it seem that much easier to think about her." Jason said as Velvet would have groan had it been an older person, or even a child she hadn't held when they were still a baby.

Even if Velvet was to take into account the pulling on her ears Jason did when he was a baby, she still couldn't bring herself to do that single gesture.

It was bewildering her in that simple fact. She didn't know how this child was able to stop her but he did. He had been able to cause that reaction. Taking a breath, Velvet closed her eyes as she just held onto the child in the meantime.

"I know. And that does help me Jason. Just not right now though. Thank you for your concern." Velvet said softly as the boy pulled back from her. For once she could see the smile he was trying to muster looking at her. The falseness to it had made her feel worse that she had no idea where it came from given how it seemed so genuine before the hug.

Letting go of the child as the teal haired woman grabbed his hand and they began to walk back around the table again. Velvet just knew that he might get scolded for the actions, but she kind of hoped that he wouldn't at this point. Turning back to her meal, Velvet picked up the fork again and placed a forkful of the food in front of her into her mouth.

Even if it was a simple thing, it was still a somewhat delicious meal. She just had to get through this meal so she could be able to go to be with Ruby again, or just go to sleep. It was a simple thing. "Velv, you should hurry up." Yang said softly. Glad that Coco had decided to take her advice and just shut up about everything at this given point.

It was something that was a shock to Yang given that they when told to do thing a they would intentionally do thing b. But it seemed that she at least figured that Velvet was on a very short fuse right now with the only solace that it was hard to ignite. No one in the group had a doubt in their mind that she would be a lot more destructive than they could even imagine.

Sighing, as they tried to think over this entire thing as Velvet just pushed the plate in front of her forward a little. "I told you I'm not hungry. This was nothing more than a polite gesture." Velvet said softly just so the child wouldn't get any ideas of ways to politely tell his parents off. She knew that Yang could hear her as the blonde just shook her head.

"Well take the rest home then." Yang said as Velvet just rolled her eyes as slyly as she could. The fact that she might unwittingly teach the child that she knew her and Ruby held dear in their hearts. Even if she taught him something as sinister as an eye roll, she wouldn't be able to sleep as easily as she had been. Even though she hadn't been able to sleep that easily. "We only have one thing we need to do first in your next of the woods." Yang continued, not seemingly helping Velvet's mood, but it wasn't going to stop Yang or the group. There had been too much work put into the place that everyone knew was going to help her.

* * *

_Smiling as she stared at the ceiling, Velvet, just seemed to laugh at the notion of how big Ruby's apartment seemed. It wasn't like Ruby's apartment grew since last time she visited. But the fact remained, compared to the apartment that Coco and she could afford, it still seemed huge._

" _Are you sure you just want to stare at my ceiling?" Ruby asked as she carefully leaned over the Faunus just so she wouldn't be able to look up her skirt and see the secret that had been burning in Ruby's mind since her and Velvet continued to grow closer and closer._

" _I just always forget how stupidly big your place is. It reminds me of my childhood home. Even with twelve children, it still felt spacious." Velvet said in a manner that made Ruby just laugh at the idea of eleven versions of Velvet of varying sizes. "I think it is because you have such high ceilings... how do you have high ceilings?"_

" _I own this apartment and Yang found a small_ _discrepancy_ _in the deed. One that allowed every owner in the building extend their ceilings by about a foot. Something that once we started doing, almost everyone else did as well." Ruby said as Velvet sat up and just smile at the idea of Yang and Ruby working hard to raise the ceiling that little bit. But it clearly made a huge difference._

" _So, are we just going to continue to stare at the ceiling? Or are we going to do what we intended to do?" Ruby asked as Velvet just smirked at her. Already knowing that Ruby would have accepted either answer from her, but she didn't want to ruin the day Ruby had planned even if she kept it secret from her._

" _We can do what you planned. I just don't the feeling of having to bend my ears down to walk around a house. It feels just so confining. I think that is something humans don't understand the feeling of." Velvet said as she took a breath. Enjoying the smile that had developed on Ruby's face. She already knew that whatever the girl had planned it was going to be one of the greatest days she would have had in a long time._

_Ruby just smiled and held her hand out for Velvet to take which she did. Velvet was reminded of the shock of the strength Ruby seemed to posses. Walking towards the door, Ruby moved the pair of flats over with her foot as she could just feel her sister staring at her._

_Turning around she could see her sister just resting on the island_ _separating_ _the kitchen from the_ _dining_ _room. "You two kooky kids remember, sex is fun, but diseases aren't. Use protection." Yang said knowing the blush that began to come over the two women was causing her untold joy. Like it had been the single greatest thing she had ever seen._

" _Yang! Shut up! Just don't forget I'm still mad at you. So don't leave until I'm back." Ruby snapped as she began to flail behind her just trying to find the door handle while she stared at the blonde mane._

" _What if I want to go out, and partake in a cool beverage with some friends?" Yang asked as Ruby stopped her leaving to just stare at her._

" _I wouldn't mind if it was just one drink. And if most times it was with reasonable friends. Not the people who decide it is a wise choice to slam bleach. It is a miracle he didn't die." Ruby said already getting mad that her plans were being ruined by this discussion that she was forced to have with her sister. "Now, stay in. I think there might be some beer in the fridge, or preferably don't drink." Ruby continued as Yang just rolled her eyes so hard Yang's head nearly smacked against the counter._

" _Dove could have totally done it. But fine. I'll just have a house party. That is the best you'll get from me." Yang said as Ruby sighed looking down. Closing her eyes, she began to count to ten slowly in her head._

_As she came to ten, she looked up to stare at her sister. "Yang, just don't get arrested again. Despite how much I enjoy talking to Sun and Neptune and even at times Ren. But don't ruin every date I have with Velvet." Ruby said as Yang just rolled her eyes equally as hard as she had just previously done._

_Once she was sure that Yang was going to take her advice, Ruby walked out closing the door smiling at Velvet who stood there. Waiting patiently for her to lead the way. She hoped that what Velvet heard she wasn't going to think something was wrong with her. The look on her face was clear that she heard and didn't mind._

* * *

Velvet frowned as she walked up the steps, wondering what her friends had needed to get from this building. It no longer seemed so spacious to her, but there had to be something important to her friends if they were forcing her to come back. She could almost smell the blood. A smell that was a great fear in her childhood that increased dramatically since she saw that sight that had burrowed into her mind.

Seeing the front door to her hollowed out home, she nearly ran towards it to make sure everything was still the way it was when she stopped in her tracks. The sight of the house being clean just seemed to be terrible. As though Ruby hadn't been there at all.

It just seemed to anger her, but not nearly as much as the bile that started to rise in her throat.


	14. Chapter 14

 

Chapter 14:

Velvet couldn't hold the bile in her stomach any more causing her to run towards the bathroom. As she opened the door she begun to get sick into the toilet.

The same coppery scent that hadn't seemed to leave. She knew that they had to have cleaned the red lake but that smell just seemed to be ingrained in her mind. Not only that but the fact her friends invaded an area she felt like it should have been untold of how pure the area had to be.

Even if it had just a river of bloody boot prints that went from the dreaded room, to the front door. She knew that her friends probably had the best intentions, but still the bile flew from her mouth. Spitting the toilet, to remove the last traces of it, Velvet reached up and flushed it as she turned around to see Yang standing in the doorway looking worried.

"THE FUCK!" Velvet yelled as Yang quickly ignored the comment as she walked over to Velvet. Resting the back of her hand on Velvet's forehead. Shoving the hand out of the way Velvet just glared harder at the blonde woman. "I'm not vomiting because I'm sick! I'm vomiting because I'm angry! You just waltz in here and did god knows what while I was trying to grieve!" Velvet yelled as Yang just took a step back.

"They didn't do this willingly. They did it as a favour to me. At my place you are just in a sharp spiral. The other's live too far to the point that you had ran away a few times. Which is why you've been staying with me. So this is one of the last options we had." Yang said in a firm tone, as she stared at Velvet. She knew that the woman was going to be hard to deal with, but she still had no other option really to talk about it to her.

However, she didn't even know about how bad of the reaction she was going to have. She had assumed that she was going to walk around slowly and then cry. Maybe some yelling, but this wasn't one of the possible options she thought of.

That was why Yang assumed she had decided to jump under the bus to protect the people that had helped her.

"I don't want to be here Yang. Not even ten feet from here, my wife ended her life. She sliced her throat so violently that I saw her spine. I was questioned as to the happiness of our relationship because they assumed I killed her. I can still smell the blood. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to even stand here?" Velvet asked almost hysterically as Yang just crossed her arms and looked at the Faunus woman who she had no idea of how or why she was being this angry at such a gesture.

The gesture was one of pure care about her mental well being. She didn't want Velvet to crumble, but knew that there was a very strong possibility that they were going to need to lock her in an asylum where she could get actual qualified help instead of their attempts to cure what was running rampant in her mind.

"We did nothing but clean the blood up. We scrubbed all the things that had blood stains by hand. We touched nothing else. We didn't even go into your room. The smell, is all in your head. Blake who has an even stronger sense of smell is proof of that. So calm down. We are going to have some tea made. You don't need to come out to enjoy the tea, but we are all staying here tonight. No one is going to go into the room if you don't want us to." Yang said placing her foot down to show how serious she was. She wasn't going to let Velvet push everyone out. Not now. Not even because of the fact that she was most likely angry. It was purely because Yang knew that this wasn't going to be easy for her. It wasn't even easy for her to be in the home.

The fact that she had to clean what remained of her sister's body above ground had been a lot harder than she had thought was possible. It wasn't even the first time that she had to clean up Ruby's blood, but certainly it had been the most. She still didn't like the memories of the times she had cleaned up the blood from when Ruby had been cutting herself.

"Why can't everyone just leave me alone!" Velvet yelled knowing that there was no chance that they would let her just walk out and go visit Ruby's grave just so she could see if there would be some sort of wisdom that would come to her while she talked to Ruby. She could always find some sort of wisdom coming from Ruby once they could talk. Even now.

Walking towards the room Velvet once found comfort in and tossed to door open before slamming it shut behind her. Sliding down she just looked around the room.

The now empty room.

The room that once held so many happy memories to Velvet. Now just had the last memory she had of the room. Where her and Ruby had sex as a way for Velvet to apologise for needing her to come down to the station. How that same thing had been burned into her mind as something she could have changed. If she could have changed that one thing, then maybe she could have saved Ruby.

* * *

_Ruby knew that from the way Velvet's hand had been resting on her lap was essentially a death sentence to her wanting to keep her secret for as long as she possibly could. Not that she wasn't happy to be close to Velvet like that, but she just didn't want the tirade of insults that would come._

_Things that would range from 'pervert' to 'sicko' to even 'monster'._

_She knew deep down that Velvet probably wouldn't react like that to such news, but she had the same thoughts about her parents. Something that took her years to get over. But she actually had a deep caring for this girl as well. She didn't want something to cause her girlfriend to freak out at her for just wanting to be the gender that she wasn't born._

_Grabbing Velvet's hand gently, Ruby began to move it away from her inner thigh as she tried to prevent the woman from freaking out at her from stumbling on her secret shame. She wasn't didn't want to hurt Velvet from something like that._

" _Velvet... I kind of need to tell you something." Ruby began as she tried to move a little to look at Velvet head on, just so the Faunus would be able to take her seriously. "And... if we are meant to take another step, it can't wait." Ruby said as Velvet just rolled her eyes and leaned in to plant a kiss on Ruby's neck._

_Taking a deep breath, she pulled back to be away from Velvet while she still held onto her hands. "I'm sure it can wait Ruby." Velvet said as she leaned in to try and plant another kiss on Ruby's neck._

" _It really can't Velvet." Ruby said letting go of one of Velvet's hands and gently pushed the rabbit girl back a little._

" _Oh god._ _You're_ _straight aren't you? I know this was too good." Velvet said moving back trying to get her hand free from Ruby who just seemed to hold onto it tighter._

" _Let me speak first Velvet." Ruby said trying to calm the woman down. Even if it was something that really shouldn't be said in the perfect world. But the world wasn't perfect, and she did need to say it. "Promise me you will hear me out to the end though." Ruby continued as she noticed Velvet's ears deflating at the mention of that but once Ruby saw the nod, she relaxed a thousand fold._

" _How do you feel about people who are transitioning... you know... genders?" Ruby asked as she hoped beyond all hope that that was going to be enough for her to figure out what Ruby was getting at, but she also knew that it might not happen. She might need to say more, but at the sight of Velvet's ears moving up a little she could see that she didn't really mind._

" _If you want to be a man Ruby, I don't care about that. I only had one brother until a few years back. I love you for you." Velvet said as Ruby chewed her lip roughly. That was at least a little bit of a relaxing notion, but that didn't really help either._

_Seeing Ruby's reaction, Velvet made a face that was one of acknowledgement. As though it had just been made clear to her. "Oh. You mean the other way." Velvet said as Ruby nodded._

" _I don't care about that Ruby. Really. Again, I have a brother who was originally my sister." Velvet continued as she could see Ruby breath a little sigh of relief. Smiling, Ruby pulled Velvet into a tight hug. An almost bone crushing hug only getting interrupted as she planted a kiss on Velvet's lips._

" _You have no idea how much that has been weighing on me." Ruby said as Velvet just smiled falling back on the bed with Ruby still holding on tight to her. It was easily one of the funniest things to her. The notion of saying something was able to lift such a weight off of someone._

" _But um... there is one question I have..." Velvet began as Ruby pulled back and rubbed the tears of joy from her face._

" _Yes that is why I got disowned by my parents." Ruby said figuring that was the question that Velvet had given how she had almost constantly hounded her to find out the reason as to why she had never really talked about them and when Ruby did talk about them, she would become_ _downtrodden_ _._

" _Good to know I suppose... but not my question." Velvet said as she began to sit up a little. Already figuring that there was nothing that was going to make the moment better or more romantic for them to enjoy themselves, but she still was curious. "Can you even... you know?"_

_Raising an eyebrow at the question trying to figure out what Velvet was asking when it clicked given what was being talked about._

" _Well, I know. You can find out." Ruby said trying to get Velvet to help with what she was feeling, and after having gotten her so worked up, she would be saddened if she couldn't take care of it._

'Guess I was wrong. Something can inject the mood back into the room.' _Velvet thought as she smiled and flipped them over so she was on top._

* * *

 

Lowering her ears, Velvet begun to dig into them as she let the tears start to stream down her face. How was she meant to stay in this place. She might have lashed out at Coco and liked to claim Coco was the reason for what happened, but in reality she knew it wasn't Coco.

It was her.

She was the one who drove Ruby to do such a rash action. She did something so stupid.

Instead of asking Ruby what was wrong and maybe help her think through what was troubling her that much that she even needed to apologise for. She just had sex with her. It made her feel so disgusted.

She knew that Yang was probably looking out for her, and that she knew it looked like she was going into a spiral. But she knew that if she was forced to be here... where Ruby died. Where she all but killed Ruby from a stupid decision, how was she meant to get better? How was she meant to grieve if she was going to be constantly reminded that she killed Ruby?

As she cried, her eyes tightly closed, her ears dripping with the blood as she moved onto a different area so she could get to a new area to injure herself with, she let out a very simple 'I'm Sorry Ruby.'


	15. Chapter 15

 

Chapter 15:

"Velvet seems hurt." Jason said sitting down on the red haired woman's lap. Already saddened by how she seemed so mad to be in her place. It wasn't making sense really to him. Nor was the sleep over his mothers had said they would have out in the living room.

"She is little guy. But there is a problem." Blake said as she covered her nose again. Still mad the smell of bleach hadn't left the place and she was meant to sleep in the rooms. She could see the boy look over at her, with a raised eyebrow. As though the Faunus had just said the secret to the universe with that simple statement. "She won't let anyone help her." Blake said as the child bit his lip as he tried to think of something that he could do.

Turning around a little, so he could look at his Mom who had witnessed the entire thought process when he spoke up, "Mom, can I have my allowance? Velvet said she didn't want Ice cream... but I think that might actually help her a little." The child said as he tried to look at the older woman holding onto him.

"This isn't an issue ice cream can solve squirt." Reese said as the child just frowned as he deflated Reese just smiled. "But we should try shouldn't we?" Reese said trying to get over the fact that she could never really stand to see her son deflated at something like that. The teal haired woman stood up and held her hand out for the boy to take.

Walking towards the front door, Reese looked behind her and tried to show the group that she was sorry. Letting go of her hand, Jason quickly ran towards the place his shoes were. Sitting down, he began to unlace his shoes before he slipped them on fully once again. Reese just shook her head as she walked over towards her own and slipped them on as she could just see Yang just rubbing her eyes a little exhausted.

"Do you want anything from the shop Yang?" Reese asked as the blonde just took a deep breath.

"Nothing. I don't want to get drunk. Just, some aspirin if you really want to get me something." Yang said as she walked down the hallway towards the living room again. She could see the mood from Velvet yelling at her had seeped a little bit into everyone except the small boy who seemed hellbent on trying to make Velvet better.

She didn't care really. She just hoped that Velvet wasn't going to snap at the boy. She didn't want to imagine how Reese and Pyrrha would react. Or even how Velvet would react once she came to her senses. "Yang? You seem sad as well... do you want ice cream?" Jason asked quickly walking towards the blonde woman.

"I'm fine kiddo. Just my head hurts a little. You focus on your crusade to make Velvet happy." Yang said already knowing that Reese was going to try and talk him out of it, but it wasn't going to happen. She knew the child was far more stubborn that anyone else she had ever seen. Not that it was a bad thing. Just at this point it was a little unneeded.

Yang looked as the child returned to standing next to Reese and took her hand. A smile seemed to grow on both of their faces, Yang just shook her head at the notion of how his mirth even in a place like this, that she knew he didn't know how hard it was for any of them to really stay the night. He didn't know what had happened, but she wasn't going to let it bog her down.

Taking a seat as she could see the door close as she leaned back and sighed. She closed her eyes and tried her hardest to ignore the look that was coming from what she just knew was one of her friends looking at her.

"I swear to whatever God you want me to, if any of you ask me if I'm alright... I'm going to choke you. I'm fine." Yang said leaning back as she took another deep breath. She was ready to just pass out, but already knew that at any point someone might need her help. She actually secretly wanted them to ask for her help. Even if it was going to give her a few more minutes of being able to avoid thinking about how she was going to go crazy given the fact she knew the likelihood of how doomed she was going to be once she started to think about Ruby.

"Fine." Weiss began as she looked around the room. Wondering what she should say as though it would come to her in the silence.

"How is she?" Pyrrha asked the group wondering if Yang or Blake had some sort of insight to the current situation.

"She is crying right now. I can't make out what she is saying though." Blake said softly as she took her hand away from her face. Glad that she started to get used to the smell, and once she got over the somewhat burning sensation of bleach, she took a short breath as she just looked at everyone. "But I'm curious as to why you took the blame?" Blake whispered in case Velvet heard them. She didn't want whatever Yang was planning to be ruined.

Opening her eyes, Yang just looked at the feline Faunus shocked that this was the first time since they walked in that she wasn't trying to breath through her mouth making almost every other word near unintelligible.

Shaking the her head a little Yang just closed her eyes once more as she tried to put what she was thinking into words. "I'd rather if she wants to punch something that it is me over some inanimate object or one of you. I know I can take whatever sort of anger she has. So just relax. Shockingly, I know what I'm doing most of the time. Even if it might not look it." Yang said as she rubbed her eyes, trying not very hard to ignore the feeling of Pyrrha lowering her head down into her lap.

As she felt the hand running through her hair in an oddly soothing manner that she just knew was from years of nursing a sick child, but she was starting to loath the comfort that was coming. It wasn't something that she wanted to enjoy. She had to stay awake and uncomfortable given the situation. Velvet had yet to come out and reveal that she was in fact alright with everything. Or at least not suicidal with the high chance of self harming.

Taking a deep breath as she opened her eyes, she looked up and could see Pyrrha just smiling a concerned smile down at her. "Are you sure you want to continue this lie Yang? You don't get to raise a child and not notice when people are lying." Pyrrha said as Yang rolled her eyes and begun to turn around so she was laying on her side looking at the wall.

"I told you, I'm fine. Dear Gandhi you guys are worse than Neo, or even Yatsu, or what's his face... Roy. You know the reason I broke up with all of them." Yang said as she closed her eyes once more. Just deciding that it was best to enjoy the feeling of her hair being stroked lightly.

"Neo and Roy don't seem like the emotional type. They seem like the kinky type though. Like knife play kind of stuff." Weiss said with a raised eyebrow looking at the blonde woman.

"Spot on, but that is beside the point. A thing with that kind of thing is talking about emotions and what are you feeling. And it just pissed me of really." Yang said calmly as she took a deep breath quickly crossed her arms. She knew that there was nothing that she could really do that wouldn't raise the eyebrows of someone. Be it if she left or even just go to check on Velvet. Not that it really mattered either way.

She already knew that she could fend off their questions. And could even possibly get out for a bit. Even if it was to go to the near by liquor store and pick up something for them all to drink once Jason when to sleep. She didn't want the child to see her or her friends in a drunken state, and knew that is was a sentiment shared with Reese and Pyrrha as well.

"That must have made Ruby mad. She was really into wanting people to share emotions. That is the way it was for us when she helped us." Blake said as Yang just smirked at the idea of her sister forcing people to talk about things they would rather not talk about. Not that she could really blame them for not wanting to talk about something.

"Oh, it pissed her right off. Which made her all the more confused before she transitioned because all the women she knew were very open with their feelings and I was the most reserved person she had ever met." Yang said as she could hear a small laugh coming from the red head stroking her hair.

"How did she even tell you about that? I know for Blake it was to show not everything is as it seems, Weiss was that nothing is wrong with the likes of LGBTQ things, for me it was telling me about how no matter how broken a mind might seem there are ways to fix it... Velvet I assume it was because things were getting physical. But you never said how or even why she would tell you. Especially after Summer and by extension Tai's reaction." Pyrrha asked as Yang just smiled a soft smile at the memory of her then brother freaking out trying to figure out how he was meant to tell their parents.

"She told me first because we were always close. She wanted a safety net, but would be fine taking the plunge if it came to that. And after she cornered me in my room before a big party and was panicking I eventually got it out of her. And that was the first time I haven't drank since college." Yang began, only getting interrupted by a yawn. The lack of sleep and drink from the previous night had started to take a real toll on her. "We stayed in my room and talked all night. Over some of the most mundane seeming things. Like how did she know, and how long had she been feeling like that, and most importantly I assume is has she talked to some professionals to yet to see if it is possible to start hormones or if it was something that she really should have started to consider that it was just a phase."

Already knowing that the question wasn't one that was amongst Ruby's favourites but it still was one that Yang was glad that she saw coming. It made for a much less awkward conversation. She would know then and there how Ruby, then Ruben was going to at least seem so much healthier given the times that Yang had walked in on him, knife deep in his arm trying to almost skin it. It was a tragic sight every time she stumbled on it. And every time it was written off by her parents.

' _I suppose this time you didn't just stop at your arm... you fucking moron. Why didn't you just call one of us... or even Mom and Dad._ ' Yang thought as she could feel Pyrrha stopping her running her hands through her hair as she felt a blanket getting draped over her body.

"I can't sleep right now."

"It is okay Yang. We can look out for Velvet right now. You just need to sleep right now." Pyrrha said as she felt a what remained of the fighting in the blonde haired woman began to die down. She could feel just how tired and exhausted Yang must have been given how pitiful the fighting was. The snoring that came just seconds afterwards was just further proof.


	16. Chapter 16

 

Chapter 16:

" _How are you so calm!?" Velvet yelled as Ruby just smirked at the Faunus who was starting to run her hands through her hair. As though there was something almost humorous to the whole state of affairs. She knew that Velvet was trying to figure out something simple, but it wasn't that hard for Ruby given everything she knew about the family._

_Ruby just smiled as she pulled her girlfriend back down into the lounge chair. Laughing at the notion that this was what was causing the woman to panic. "I'm calm Velvet because the way I see it, I can't lose. Your parents already accept that your once sister is now your brother. And in my experience, parents are a lot worse towards something like that than a lesbian relationship. Look at my parents with me and Yang. The only difference is Yang is pigheaded and won't listen to logic and I got disowned." Ruby said with a smile as the fighting from Velvet begun to die down._

" _So, seeing as our port is still a day and a half away, just sit back and pray Yang isn't going to ruin another day slash night calling me forgetting that we are on holiday. Which really sucks because this is my first one in years. Literally years." Ruby said as Velvet hugged the woman lightly as she began to resituate herself to look into the silver orbs to see the mirth at the thought of being able to take a break._

" _Given your history of working seven days a week, and only taking a day off when I threaten something that you normally don't like. I mean I can't believe that I had to threaten you with breaking up just so you would take this month long trip." Velvet said as Ruby just smiled at the idea of how she knew the Faunus might have hated needing to do that but knew that she would do it again just to make sure that they both were there._

_Smiling as he just took in the sunlight, both just enjoying the comfort they had at that moment when Velvet moved up a little. Just so her head was resting on Ruby's shoulder. She could feel Ruby's hands just wrapped around her lower back, intent that Ruby could tell that this was the best situation for them. She didn't know what was causing her being so intent but she already knew that if the worst should come to the worst, then she was glad that Blake was in fact the same Blake that the country's leader was the daughter of and they promised Ruby the sky and the moon if she asked for it._

" _I hope you know, you are going to be the first human my village has seen. Literally. They don't really like leaving the port area for very long." Velvet began as she heard a small laugh coming from Ruby._

" _You already told me this. And how I can't eat meat while we are there because your village doesn't condone animal meat and only accepts vegetables. But don't worry about that Velvet. I'm used to people staring. It comes with transitioning." Ruby said with a smile as Velvet just lowered her head once more._

" _You are just the first person I'm bringing back home, and we might not have seen humans, but the rumours do make their way to us." Velvet muttered as she felt one of Ruby's hands leave her back wondering where it was until she felt it rubbing her ears she just smiled at the feeling. The way it was comforting her, was remarkable._

" _Just relax about it Velvet. This is why I suggested we take a_ _cruise_ _. It was meant to give you time to think. Not panic." Ruby said as she could feel Velvet start to become putty at the feeling of her ears being scratched. And that was such a wondrous sight to her._

_Sighing as she just leaned into the feeling of Ruby scratching the base of her ears, "I know it will be fine because you are here with me."_

* * *

Velvet knew her tear stained face was going to be an annoying thing, but she didn't want to think about anything. The only thing that broke the silence was the soft knocking on the door across the room. Rubbing the tears from her eyes, Velvet looked towards the door and just frowned.

She wasn't sure which was the worse form of torture. The constant memories that were flooding into her mind just sitting in the room, or the fact that her friends had nearly forced her into the room that was causing the memories to flood into the forefront of her mind.

As she was about to snap, she heard the soft voice of Jason coming from the other side. "Velvet... can I come in? I made you something." Wiping the tears from her face, with the back of her hand, Velvet didn't want him to come in, but still knew that if he did make her something then it would probably be spent out of his own meager allowance and was trying his hardest to make her actually feel better.

"Sure Jason." Velvet said as she tried to think of a way she could hide the bright red streaks going down her face. Even if it was for the sole purpose of avoiding the curious questions coming from the child.

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Velvet partially closed her eyes as she could see the flood of light coming in that nearly got dwarfed as she could see the child just trying to keep a stoic face.

Each step he was taking was a measured one, as though he was trying to not spill the bowl that Velvet could just smell and see was a banana split that he must have made. It was something that that would have normally brought a smile to her face. Walking over the Faunus, he looked up and held the treat out for her.

"I wasn't sure what type of ice cream you liked... so Mom suggested vanilla so we could get chocolate sauce and peanuts and cherries." Jason said as Velvet grabbed the bowl from the child who had begun to climb up onto the bed to sit next to Velvet. The look of questioning on his face as he tried to think about what he was meant to say.

"What's the matter Jason?" Velvet asked, trying to ignore the small quiver in her voice and hoping desperately that the caring child didn't hear it either. Just because she didn't want the questions about her face to be asked, and already knew that if he was to ask about her voice it would be a lot harder to answer.

"Are you sure you are okay? My Moms and the other grownups are constantly acting like you aren't okay. And won't tell me anything." Jason asked as Velvet just sniffled a little and quickly wrapped an arm around the child pulling him so he was a bit closer to her as she rested the treat on her lap.

"In some sense of the words, I am okay. But none of that you need to worry about. And neither should other grownups. I'm just a little mad at them right now." Velvet said as the child just nodded, Velvet already knew that he didn't really understand what was said but knew that it was rude not to respond. "It is okay if you don't understand it Jason." Velvet said as the child looked towards the Faunus and just frowned at her.

Yawning, Jason begun to rest his head on Velvet's shoulder. "Grownups are complicated aren't they?" Jason said as he tried to stifle another yawn. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to stay up much longer and already knew that he should probably leave, but he was glad that Velvet at least seemed a little happier. His quest was complete with a success it would seem to him.

"They are. But if you want to sleep, you can sleep in here." Velvet said softly as she let go of her hold on the child who was idly nodding his head. As though he was having a small war with himself between trying to be polite, but also trying to sleep.

Smiling a little, Velvet twisted her body so the bowl was resting on the night stand. Turning back around she started to lower the child down. She could see Reese standing in the doorway for... for... she had no idea how long.

"I know you don't want to talk about it Velvet. I wouldn't if Pyrrha did something similar, or god forbid Jason. But don't cut us out. I'll admit, we all screwed up that night. In some way or another. You lost a wife, Yang lost a sister, Jason lost the woman who managed to fix my pigheadedness, and we all lost a close friend. And we all are hurting, but together we can help everyone up." Reese began stepping in a little to just grasp the door handle. "Try not to let the ice cream melt. He spent all his saved up allowance for a month. He was trying to save up to buy this girl he has been a little smitten with a present for her upcoming birthday. That is how much your happiness means to him." Reese said as she begun to close the door leaving Velvet feeling a little alone in the darkness once more.

The only other person in the room was the child who she could hear the even breaths and even an almost adorable snore. Looking towards the bowl of ice cream, Velvet just bit her lip with the simple thought of how she couldn't even understand how the child was being foolish, but she also knew that Reese was right if what she said was true. If he spent the money that he was originally saving up for a friend's birthday present.

' _I guess I have no choice but to eat it... why can't you just be a normal child._ ' Velvet thought as she picked it back up. She was surprised that it didn't already start to melt, but knew that he had put all his heart and soul into the sugary mess, that it would mean she had no choice but to eat it.

Picking up the spoon and digging it in, she still remembered when Ruby was given one just like this from Velvet's ten year old sister the first time Ruby met her family. Sniffling as she raised the bite into her mouth, she couldn't help but find some comfort in the sugary mess. She never really understood why sugar and sorrow was a combination, but she had to admit that it was helping her relax a little. Or at least remove some of the anger that had started to build up towards her friends.

The lump that had formed in her throat started to dissipate, giving her a sense of relaxation, at the notion of how this was going to be ultimately something she was thankful for, given how she knew that she wouldn't have been able to clean up the blood, but the simple thoughts that had caused such a violent reaction was causing her to worry in it's own right hadn't started to ebb away.

She already knew that soon, it would consume her entire being again. And worse she remembered how the small boy was in the room. Someone who would bring up what Velvet was saying and doing to herself up to his parents at the very least.

To Velvet though, she knew the night's actions she would take would mean if she is able to keep everyone in the dark. Placing the final bite into her mouth, she quickly placed the spoon into the bowl and rested it on the night stand. Pulling her knees back up onto the bed and flush to her chest, Velvet lowered one of her ears, and begun to do her most recent nightly ritual of digging her fingers into her ears once more.

' _I'm sorry Ruby... I can't even stop when Jason is_ _nearby_ _..._ ' Velvet thought laying down on the bed, back to the small boy, her free arm wrapped around her knees and the hand in her ears bearing down on them with brute force she could feel some small comfort coming from the action. One that she hoped would last the entire night.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Velvet was awoken by one of the worst feelings she had ever had. Without thinking, she nearly jumped out of bed and ran towards the only room where she really could release this feeling. Running into the bathroom, Velvet flung the toilet seat up and begun to get sick.

Just the way the bile had started to spew from her lips she could feel some comfort coming from it. It was a strange feeling to the poor Faunus. She often never found comfort in something like vomiting. But what was a little alien to her was the fact that she didn't know what was causing it.

Feeling a little like her legs were made of jelly, Velvet began to stumble a little as she decided to just kneel down on the ground. Her head staying in the toilet as another torrent of vomit begun to leave her.

She could hear some rushed footsteps towards her and the door opening, but she couldn't make out who is was. Not that it overly mattered to her. The person began to walk closer to her and started to pull her hair back. Hair that she knew was going to be speckled with vomit, but she had to admit that made her feel so much better.

"Had me thinking that Jason was getting sick." Reese said as Velvet just grumbled a little at the notion. The parents would be worried by the sound of vomiting would make them panic. Even if it sounded like said child was getting sick and in the process started to pull his organs out.

The shiver that overtook Velvet from how acid had started to leave her throat was alarming to her. Normally that had never even caused something like that. Spitting into the toilet, Velvet was a little glad that if there was vomit in her hair, which she felt like there was a good chance, it wasn't going to be nearly as bad.

"You feeling alright?" Reese asked, as the Faunus just closed her eyes and took some deep breaths. Trying her hardest to not get sick any more. "I take your silence as not very good. Was it something you ate?" Reese continued to ask as the woman with her head in the toilet just started to grumble.

"I can't make any of that out." Reese stated as she started to look around the room, trying to see if there was anything that she could give Velvet to remove the taste from her mouth. She didn't want to make Velvet any more uncomfortable than she absolutely needed to.

"If it was something I ate, then there would be someone else here as well. With the possibility of the split Jason made me being the exception." Velvet stated as she could feel her friend just looking at her carefully. She didn't know why and that didn't really matter to her given how she wasn't going to be of much help no matter what they wanted. Her goal for the day was simple, not to kill herself and visit Ruby again.

That was how simple her goal was and she wouldn't let her friends veer her away from that goal. She didn't care what it would take, she was sitting in front of Ruby's grave for a few hours and she was going to enjoy it as much as one could enjoy sitting in front of the grave of your late wife who committed suicide because of your stupid actions.

"Doesn't matter what it is. Here swish this around." Reese said carefully lowering the hair in her hands down as she stood up and walked towards the clear bottle filled with purple liquid and poured some of it into the lid before handing it to Velvet. She could see the Faunus just plugging her nose from what she just knew was probably a pure siege on her nose. As Velvet swished the liquid around she spit it into the toilet as well and begun to shiver from the taste that was left in her mouth.

"I. Hate. Mouthwash." Velvet said as she raised her hand and pushed down on the lever. She couldn't help but stare at the way the water was going down the drain. It was a very pleasant sight to her given what it had been.

"More than vomit?" Reese asked as Velvet just rested her head on the edge of the toilet seat. She didn't like how she couldn't even tell what was the reason for her getting sick, but the worst part to her really was the fact that she wasn't sure if that was going to be the last time that she would be getting sick that day.

"It is highly debatable. Ask Blake... there are no Faunus mouthwashes outside Menagerie. And those are expensive to begin with." Velvet said softly as she could feel what had to be a small amount of contents in her stomach wanting to be free but she really didn't want to let the contents out without a fight.

"Right, well we are heading out for breakfast in an hour. You want to come with?" Reese asked as Velvet started to breath deeply again.

"I'd rather not." Velvet said softly as she could hear the sound of Yang yawning, from what Velvet could assume was some drunken stupor she was waking up from.

"You don't get a choice Velvet. You didn't eat much of dinner, you need to eat properly." Yang yelled causing Velvet to just start to debate if it would be worth kicking everyone out just so she could do what she wanted. It was something that she that as the seconds progressed started to look like a better and better option. "So wash up." Yang yawned out as she walked into the room to just look at Velvet.

Velvet clenched her eyes and just started to count slowly. She knew that she was feeling angry, and she really didn't want to say anything bad to Yang, meaning this was her only real option. Once she reached ten, Velvet took one final breath and opened her eyes. "Yang, I'm not starving myself. I just don't want to deal with people." Velvet said trying to broadcast how angry she was getting without needing to remove her head from where it was resting on the off chance that she would vomit once again.

"Not what I'm worried about Velvet. But the way I see it is you can come with us, or I can call some friends to watch you write the letter to Summer for fighting back, and sending it to her. The longer you put this off and if she extends the olive branch first can mean so much worse than you could imagine." Yang said as Velvet just knew that counting wasn't going to help a second time.

"I'm not sending her a sorry letter. She attacked me, there are witnesses to that and even police reports stating things to that effect. Not to mention the only person that would possibly testify on her behalf is that spineless thing you once called a father who alone is getting done in most likely for racism. So I feel safe." Velvet said as Yang just shook her head. She knew that Velvet was going to act like this, but she was still going to try and get Velvet to write a few words and send them. Just because then her safety then would be set in stone.

"Velvet, I guarantee you. No one hates them as much as I do. But you need to write two sentences. I will give you the money to send it priority to them. You just need to write something to the effect of 'I'm sorry for what I did to you when we last saw each other. Please extend my sympathies to Taiyang.' That is it Velvet. Those two sentences will make sure if they do come after you, then you can keep this pig headed stance."Yang said as Velvet just wanted to glare at her, but could really take her head from the toilet. She was going to just focus on keeping her stomach in the same place.

"It isn't happening Yang. Now, can the both of you leave so I can get into the shower and wash the vomit from my hair?" Velvet asked rhetorically as she begun to pull herself from the toilet. Feeling a little light headed as she almost felt the vomit slip from her lips as she walked towards the door. Bracing herself on the door, she slowly pushed the women out as she closed it fully.

She could just hear them talking about how she might have looked. Shoving those thoughts from her mind, Velvet moved towards the shower and quickly started it, before she begun to strip. She was glad that this at least meant that she was going to be able to be alone soon enough. Just like she wanted to be. Just like she deserved.

* * *

_Ruby just smiled as she could feel the bed she was asleep on with Velvet in her arms start to shift drastically as if a child was jumping on it. Ruby kept her eyes close as she could feel Velvet sit up and tried to glare at the child. "Peter. Don't jump on the bed." The older rabbit Faunus said as she rubbed her eyes._

" _Peter, don't stop. Wake them both up." Ruby heard another Faunus say from the doorway as the small child clearly had an issue deciding which of the women he should listen to._

" _Vi. Don't tell him to do it. It is dangerous. Plus Ruby is already up. She just doesn't want to ruin Peter's fun. And believe me she is going to get a talking to once you two leave." Velvet said as the sister that Ruby had heard stories about just let out an 'ah'._

" _Should I come back then in a few hours with some water and some energy bars?" Vi said as Ruby knew Velvet was going to be blushing, it was even making her question if it was worth opening her eyes to just look at the sight._

" _Not that type of talking to!" Velvet blurted out in a rush trying to save face with her sister and brother as Ruby could just hear some snickering coming from the direction of the door followed by rapid_ _footfalls_ _running towards the door._

" _What ever you say Vel Vel." Vi started as she turned towards the child. "Come on Peter, let's go chase those crows and let the grown ups do grown up things."_

" _We aren't going to do tha-!"_

" _Thank you Vi!" Ruby interrupted Velvet as she heard the door closing causing her to just smile. She was actually starting to enjoy this. She had to admit, after the annoying trek they had to make, this was actually worth it if the previous night was anything to go by. Even if she did get surprised with all the eyes on her._

_Cracking one of her eyes open, Ruby could see Velvet just glaring lightly at her. She knew that Velvet wanted to be mad, but she just couldn't muster up that anger. It was actually funny to Ruby. "What? We now have an hour or two more sleep. I mean what time is it?" Ruby asked as Velvet began to lie down again._

" _About five thirty. I told you the sun rises early here." Velvet said as Ruby just shook her head. She couldn't believe that Velvet meant that early. She actually dread thinking about what winter would look like if the sun was up this early during summer. "But you shouldn't let Peter jump on the bed. He has already broken his arm from falling off of one." Velvet said as Ruby just closed her eyes and pulled her tighter to her._

" _He is five Velvet. Let him enjoy his youth. But I mean... we are at an impasse. We can do some_ talking _or we can sleep. And before you ask, yes I brought some to prevent some awkward conversations." Ruby stated as she felt Velvet just kissing her chastely. "I'll take it you want to do the_ taking _option. Can you get me one? They are in my duffelbag's side pocket." Ruby said as she could feel Velvet leaving her embrace as she sat up. As Velvet walked over towards the bag, Ruby's heart nearly froze over as she saw where Velvet was going to._

_She knew that if she tried to stop Velvet she was going to check regardless._

_Velvet opened the pocket carefully as to not make any noise for her family to jump at. That was when she pulled out a small black box. "It isn't what it looks like Velvet... just can you put that back?" Ruby asked as Velvet just ignored her and opened the box to see a golden ring with a single diamond in the centre._

_Letting out a gasp, Velvet jumped onto the bed, her legs on either side of Ruby's preventing her from escaping that she clearly looked like she was going to. "What is this Ruby?"_

" _An optical illusion?" Ruby said sarcastically as she tried to think of a way that she could still pop the question in the place that she wanted to. As a response to the question, Velvet just stared at her. "Okay, I was going to ask your family where your favourite spot here is and pop the question there. But we've been together for three years. I already know how much you mean to me." Ruby stated as she grabbed the ring from the box, and gently gasped Velvet's left hand._

" _Yes you dummy." Velvet said not even letting the woman beneath her pose the question. As Ruby slipped the ring on Velvet's finger she let out a single screech before she leaned down and kissed Ruby. The moment being ruined by the door caving in to reveal Velvet's parents looking panicked._


End file.
